Meridian residents will have an opportunity to improve their homes’ fire safety as the Southeast chapter of the American Red Cross offers free smoke alarm installations during its Sound the Alarm home fire safety campaign. A kick-off event will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Meridian Police Precinct building in Highland Park.

A partnership with the Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency, the Meridian Fire Department, the City of Meridian and the Lauderdale NAACP Chapter, the campaign will continue to Thursday, Feb. 1.

“A working smoke alarm can be the difference between survival and tragedy when a home fire strikes,” Southeast ARC Executive Director John McCarty said. “That’s why the Red Cross is teaming up with the community to help ensure Meridian residents, especially those most vulnerable, have these lifesaving devices.”

During Saturday’s kick-off event in Highland Park, teams will canvass nearby neighborhoods to educate residents about home fire safety and install smoke alarms for those who request them.

Throughout the week, teams will be in Meridian responding to requests for the mass installation and fire education event. Residents who need assistance can register at SoundtheAlarm.org or call 205-439-7879 for a 20-minute home fire safety visit between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the campaign dates. Volunteers and firefighters will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

Home fires claim seven lives every day, according to a national study conducted on behalf of the American Red Cross, and having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half.

Volunteers are needed during the Sound the Alarm event. To sign up, visit soundthealarm.org/mississippi. No prior experience is needed, and training will be provided for installing smoke alarms and sharing fire safety information.

Local Sound the Alarm events like this one are a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save 2,000 lives since launching in October 2014. Locally during this time, the Alabama and Mississippi region and local partners have installed more than 4,000 free smoke alarms and saved more than 100 lives.

This work is made possible by the following regional partners: Jackson County, Nissan Motor Company, Washington County and Harrison County in Mississippi, and Alabama’s Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Brasfield & Gorrie and the City of Montgomery.