Red Cross works with Centre County fire company to install smoke alarms

CENTRE HALL, Pa. (WTAJ) – As part of Centre County United Way’s Day of Caring, American Red Cross volunteers and firefighters from Centre Hall Fire Company worked together to replace smoke alarms for free in the area.

Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Central PA, Laura Burke, said that a broken smoke alarm can be a big safety risk. She highlighted that a functioning detector can reduce the chances of dying in a housefire by “over fifty percent.”

The volunteers went door-to-door in Centre Hall, asking each resident if they wanted their smoke alarm replaced for free. It is a way to give back to the community in a way that could potentially save them from tragedy later.

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“The mission of the Red Cross is to alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies,” Burke said. “So this is really just the core of our mission.”

The Red Cross said that they do replacements year round, and to request one, visit their website or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

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