Red Cross outlines "Sound the Alarm" home-fire campaign, schedules Atwater canvass and installations

Gamila Mohammed, community disaster program manager for the American Red Cross of Merced County, told the Atwater City Council on March 9 that the organization’s Sound the Alarm campaign has saved lives and will hold local canvassing and installation events in and near Atwater this spring. "Since the program started in 2014, across the nation, over 2,577 lives have been saved," Mohammed said.

The program combines neighborhood canvassing, appointment-based installs and education. Mohammed described the process: volunteers and partner fire departments test existing smoke alarms, replace units older than 10 years, install specialty alarms for residents with hearing needs and provide residents with a home-fire escape plan on a dry-erase magnet. "We also talk about building a home fire escape plan with their family," she said.

Why it matters: smoke alarms and prompt education are a primary, low-cost method to reduce deaths and injuries from residential fires. Mohammed said the regional effort has reached thousands: nationally, millions of alarms have been installed; locally, "Here in Merced County, since I started, we have installed over 1,000 alarms in over 300 homes," and the regional office has run seven events across the county since fall 2023.

Mohammed gave dates and signup information for local participation: canvassing in Atwater is scheduled for April 4 (canvassing roughly 9 a.m. to noon) and installation day on April 11. She invited residents and community groups to volunteer and offered materials in Spanish. She also asked the city to post flyers and said she could provide PDFs and QR codes so residents can register and sign up through the Red Cross Volunteer Connection.

The presentation included operational details for volunteers: installers receive on-site training, events typically begin at a local fire station or hub, and Red Cross supplies tool bags and resident packets. Mohammed emphasized that volunteers include former firefighters and local community members and that the work is coordinated with fire chiefs to target vulnerable neighborhoods.

Mohammed provided a contact phone number and online resources for residents who want installations or to volunteer: soundthealarm.org and the regional page soundthealarm.org/nccr; she also cited a phone number listed on the flyers, (510) 595-4573.

The council thanked Mohammed and asked staff to post the materials on the city website. No formal action was taken; Mohammed said she will follow up with the city on posting flyers and sharing PDF signup forms.