Anyone who needs smoke alarms can get them for free

The American Red Cross - in recognizing National Fire Protection Week - is asking every household to take some simple steps that can help prevent home fires and save lives.

As part of the effort, smoke alarms are now available to anyone who needs them. To schedule a free smoke alarm installation, make your appointment at http://www.redcross.org/local/new-hampshire-vermont/in-home-smoke-alarm or call 1-800-464-6692.

"Home fires can be a deadly threat because they happen so quickly," said Maria Devlin, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross in New Hampshire and Vermont. "National Fire Prevention Week is a perfect time for people from our region to learn what they should do to prevent a fire in their home."

INSTALL AND TEST SMOKE ALARMS Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half:

• Place smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms.
• Test smoke alarms once a month.
• Change the batteries at least once a year - if your model requires it.
• Replace smoke alarms every ten years.

People may only have two minutes to escape when a fire occurs. The Red Cross recommends that households develop a fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year. Everyone should know two ways to escape from every room and designate a safe place to meet outside the home in case of a fire. Discuss the plan with all household members and practice it until everyone - including children - can escape in less than two minutes.

The Red Cross Emergency App includes content on how to prevent home fires and what to do if one occurs. Parents can download the Monster Guard App to help their children learn what to do and how to protect themselves. Both apps can be downloaded for free in app stores or by going to redcross.org/apps.

The American Red Cross and partners across the country have set a goal to install 45,000 smoke alarms in homes during the month of October as part of the ongoing Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. The multi-year campaign kicked off in October of 2014 with a goal to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent during the five years of the campaign. Working with fire departments and community groups across the entire country, the Red Cross installs smoke alarms in homes in neighborhoods at high risk for home fires. In the last two years, more than half a million smoke alarms have been installed as part of the Home Fire Campaign.