The Red Cross is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the home fire campaign with the Sound the Alarm event in Jacksboro

On Saturday, October 19th, the Big Country Chapter of the American Red Cross in Jacksboro, Texas hosted a “Sound the Alarm” event. Working with the Jacksboro Fire Department and concerned citizens of Jack County, Red Cross volunteers and local firefighters visited the homes of Jacksboro residents to install free smoke alarms and share fire safety tips in their homes.

Working together, the Red Cross, Jacksboro Fire Department and local partners installed 147 smoke detectors in 50 homes, protecting 119 residents from home fires.

“We are grateful for our partnership with the Jacksboro Fire Department,” said Kara Nickens, executive director of the Red Cross Big Country Chapter. “They have taken the time to help us ensure the Jacksboro community is safer and more informed about the risks of home fires and how to prevent them.

Jacksboro Fire Chief Jeremy Jennings shared, “I was surprised at how many people had smoke detectors that they didn’t check to see if they were still working or didn’t have smoke detectors at all. We met a lot of good people today and brought them fire safety to areas we may have never visited before. It was great to see people calling their neighbors and friends to sign up.

Make a difference by working together
By working effectively with local nonprofit Concerned Citizens of Jack County, they were able to help the Red Cross publicize the Sound the Alarm event and even get community members to sign up. Senior residents like Linda Lou Richardson, concerned citizens of Jack County, address the needs of the county’s elderly and disabled population.

“Concerned citizens were dropping off my food when they told me about the Red Cross event,” Richardson said. “My smoke alarms stopped working and I couldn’t replace them myself, so I told them to register me. Thank you for taking care of me today. I feel good and have more peace of mind knowing there is something there to alert me if a fire breaks out.”