Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Internship Update: Home Fire Safety

Home Fire Safety 

As my time as an intern for the American Red Cross is coming to a close, I wanted to share one of my favorite experiences. Two weeks ago, I was sending out our yearly newsletters when Laura informed me that a camera crew would be there in an hour for an interview. She then asked me which part I wanted to say on camera and I froze. I had never been on camera before and the thought terrified me, but I was also very eager to try!

Together, we were informing Lubbock residents about the Home Fire Campaign and the importance of installing smoke alarms. The goal of this Campaign is to reduce home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent. I gave some tips about home fire safety and wanted to share those here as well:

  • Stay in the kitchen when cooking
  • Keep anything that could catch fire more than 3 feet away from a heat source
  • Never smoke in bed
  • Plug appliances directly into wall outlets
  • Keep matches and lighters safely stored away from children
  • Create and practice an escape plan twice a year
  • Change smoke alarm batteries every year
  • Replace smoke alarms every ten years


A component of the Campaign is Sound the Alarm. Red Cross volunteers and partners help install free smoke alarms, replace batteries and help families create escape plans. In Lubbock alone, we have installed over 1,500 smoke alarms.


With home fires being the largest type of disaster that the American Red Cross responds to, I couldn’t think of a better message to share in our community. I’ve definitely learned new things from this Campaign and hope to share that knowledge. “Together, we can Sound the Alarm about fire safety and help save lives.”