WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The Wichita Falls Red Cross passed a milestone today as it installed the 50,000th free smoke alarm in Texoma.

American Red Cross executive director Kara Nickens said this event served to actively help families vulnerable to home fires.

Red Cross volunteers canvassed various homes for future smoke detector installation on Tuesday morning, October 10, 2023, during the “Sound the Alarm” smoke alarm installation event. The alarms will be installed on Saturday, October 28.

Nickens said smoke alarms bring awareness to potential home fires, but that it’s not the only thing residents need to do.

“We want to make sure people have an evacuation plan to get out if there is a fire,” Nickens said. “You basically have two minutes or less to get out if there is a fire, so the smoke detectors are going to bring awareness and tell you that you need to get out. We want everybody to have a plan. We say ‘get out, stay out, call 9-1-1.'”

Volunteers went door-to-door canvassing the neighborhood to bring awareness to the Sound the Alarm event.

According to Nickens, their installation goal is 500 smoke detectors. Since its conception in October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign has helped save almost 2,000 lives.