Mary Alice Reporting – The American Red Cross will venture to the Village of Newcomerstown to provide a neighborhood with fire information and alarms.

This event is following the tragic December 26th fatal blaze for a family and the goal of the visit is to make the village a safer community.

Heartland, Stark and Muskingum Lakes Chapter Executive Director Kim Kroh says Red Cross members and trained volunteers will be in the area of McKinley, Paulding, and Tuscarawas Avenues, in Newcomerstown, this Saturday.

“It is simply not installing free smoke alarms. The educational component is as important because if you don’t know how to escape from a home, the smoke alarm is only going to alert you that you need to leave a home.”

Keeping smoke alarms up-to-date with fresh batteries twice a year is a major prevention component but developing an escape plan from each room in the house and an outside meeting place is also crucial.

This event is part of a nationwide campaign, Sound the Alarm, Save a Life that will take place in the spring.

“Come April we are going to have a very large event in Tuscarawas County. We will be reaching out to community partners throughout Tuscarawas County to join us in our efforts to ensure that homes are made safer with smoke alarms and prevention education.”

Smoke alarms are available through many local fire departments but to request an alarm through the American Red Cross, for Tuscarawas, Stark, Wayne, Ashland, Carroll, Holmes, and Harrison, call 330-453-0146.

Learn more about the campaign and other fire prevention tips at www.redcross.org/sound-the-alarm.html.

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