Press Release May 2, 2022

RED CROSS – Sound the Alarm

I want to share a huge THANK YOU to many people who helped the American Red Cross and my partners at Sound the Alarm in Porterville on Saturday, April 30th! I am so thankful for their participation and for making the event successful. I believe everyone enjoyed their experience. Overall, we installed 106 alarms and made 48 homes safer!!!

In one of those homes, lives Felecia ***. She had one hard-wired smoke alarm that didn’t work anymore. Saturday, Red Cross volunteers and members of Bank of the Sierra installed three smoke alarms for her and also shared information on the causes of home fires, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

“I feel a lot better knowing these smoke alarms work in my home. I wasn’t able to get up there to replace them. Thanks to the Red Cross, my daughter and I are much safer,” Kurtz said.

Susan and George worked with me and came across at least two homes that didn’t have smoke alarms in them. Those neighbors now have working smoke alarms and have cut the risk of death from home fire in half.

Upcoming Sound the Alarm Events

Porterville kicked off the first of six Sound the Alarm events across Central California! Volunteers can register now at SoundTheAlarm.org/CentralCalifornia to install free smoke alarms and share fire safety information with residents at our next Sound the Alarm events on May 14 and May 21.

  • Selma, May 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Delano, May 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Madera, May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Be sure to check out our Flickr Photo Album for more pictures!