NEWPORT NEWS — The American Red Cross Coastal Virginia chapter is looking for volunteers to help install smoke alarms in various cities including Newport News.
As part of the program “Sound the Alarm”, Red Cross is looking for volunteers for the 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift on May 5.
Lunch will be provided, to sign up click here.
According to the news release from Red Cross, nationally seven people die a day in home fires, mostly in homes that lack working smoke alarms, with children and the elderly disproportionately among the victims.
During 2016, more than 80 percent of all fire deaths occurred within the home in the state of Virginia and 80 residents died as a result of residential structure fires last year, according to a news release from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.
In 2016, the Newport News Fire Department installed 156 smoke alarms in the city, according to its annual report.
The Newport News Fire Department didn’t immediately return calls to answer how many fires were caused last year from faulty smoke alarms.
