A partnership between the Red Cross and the Turlock Fire Department to spread the message of fire safety awareness, resulted in the installation of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in numerous Turlock homes Jan. 17.

Volunteers from both agencies installed 130 smoke alarms and 100 carbon monoxide detectors, as well as changing out the batteries in 78 already installed smoke alarms in homes around the West Side neighborhoods in Turlock. In November the partnership installed 86 smoke detectors in Turlock homes. The campaign picks neighborhoods that have a higher frequency of fire calls.

The Red Cross on average responds to 70,000 disasters a year, with the majority of those being house fires.

“Smoke alarms cut the risk of death from a fire in half, which is why it is critical for all households to have them and test them regularly,” said Kathleen Weis, Chief Executive Officer for the Red Cross Gold Country Region. “We have seen an increase in home fires throughout our region, on average responding to one every 11 hours, so it is critical that residents take action to reduce their risk and improve their safety in the event of a home fire. Simply testing your smoke alarms and practicing fire drills at home can save lives.”