Virginia Beach Fire Dept. partners with Red Cross to install free smoke alarms

The Virginia Beach Fire Department, American Red Cross volunteers and nonprofit Impact Virginia installed smoke alarms for free on Saturday to raise awareness about home fire safety.

The groups gathered in the Trailer City neighborhood off Virginia Beach Boulevard near Birdneck Road and knocked on doors.

The Red Cross says people have just two minutes to escape when a fire breaks out.

“Research shows that a working smoke alarm cuts the chance of death in half and so we know that educating the community and getting smoke alarms into homes is really going to cut down that chance," said Justin Brown with the organization.

Brown says volunteers were equipped with enough detectors to help make 65 homes safer. Organizations brought volunteers who were able to speak Spanish because of a high number of Spanish speakers living in Trailer City who might need translation.

“Sometimes, they tend to not come out. Just, mainly afraid because, you know, they feel more comfortable with someone that speaks Spanish," said Juan Zuniga, a bilingual firefighter with the Virginia Beach Fire Department. "They tend to gather more information, they get better information with someone who speaks Spanish. It’s a better way to reach them.”

Organizers say this was the final smoke detector giveaway in the Red Cross' home fire safety program until the fall.

To make an appointment to get a free smoke alarm installed in your home, click here .

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