February 24, 2025 – The American Red Cross, Clovis Fire Department, and other community organizations are resolute in their commitment to safety for the neighborhoods and mobile home parks of Clovis.
Student nurses from West Hills College, Clovis Chamber of Commerce members, Clovis Fire Department Firefighters, and Red Cross volunteers were eager to spend the day giving back to our community on Saturday, February 22nd for the “Sound the Alarm” project installing smoke alarms in the city.
Gathering early on a sunny Saturday morning, the nonprofit organization brought together countless volunteers and American Red Cross staff to install 167 smoke alarms throughout the city, particularly targeting mobile home parks and other high-risk areas.
According to Disaster Services Program Manager Amrit Sidhu, this wasn’t just important because these homes needed working smoke alarms to protect themselves – it also protected the communities that surrounded them and showed the residents of Clovis that the organization is dedicated to serving their people in whatever they needed.
Neighborhoods were chosen based on which areas placed the most calls to the Clovis Fire Department related to home fires. Often, these neighborhoods are found to be lacking functional smoke alarms or require more than they currently have.
These alarms working properly can often mean the difference between life and death or the saving of a home from structural damage.
A plethora of volunteers showed up ready to help on Saturday morning – significantly more than the American Red Cross had expected, allowing for groups of 4 instead of the usual 3, and having foreign language interpreters available for groups who needed it.
“We were unprepared in a very positive way to expect as many volunteers as we have,” Sidhu shared, explaining how individuals wanting to help appeared in multitudes to the mobile home park to get the day started.
They began at Villa Park Mobile Home Estates, near the intersection of Villa and Barstow Avenues. The mobile home park was buzzing with conversations as necessities were set up throughout the area and volunteers were directed inside a building at the front of the park to sign in.
American Red Cross staff welcomed volunteers with muffins, Gatorades, waters, and other snacks to make sure all the helpers remained in good shape throughout the day. The sunlight shone into the center where they welcomed them, gave volunteers name tags and light blue t-shirts (one of the main colors of their “Sound the Alarm” initiative), and other necessary items for the hours ahead.
After signing in, taking pictures, and getting everything they needed for the day, volunteers were given directions regarding how to install the alarms, educating families about fire safety in the homes they visited, and other components of the event.
American Red Cross volunteer of several years Eddie Zamora made his way around the groups of individuals gathering to take pictures, share his experiences, and give additional instructions to those who hadn’t before participated in an event like this.
After a group in the mobile home park had learned about installing the alarms, he chimed in, emphasizing the importance of what they were doing and talking to volunteers about educating the families. He stated, “A good phrase to remember is get out, stay out, so please practice that, especially if there’s kids in the house.”
Zamora and other people from the American Red Cross also emphasized the higher risk associated with mobile homes and home fires.
In a typical home fire, individuals have about two minutes on average to leave the home to lessen the chances of a fatality. But with a mobile home, because of the difference in size as well as the flammable material that mobile homes are often made with, that statistic drops to 30 seconds or lower.
Volunteers carefully listened to the information given by the American Red Cross staff, ensuring they got every piece of knowledge they needed to install the fire alarms and educate families throughout the day about fire safety.
Once they had been taught, groups of volunteers were dispersed throughout the area – some visiting surrounding neighborhoods or wherever they were needed the most.
They worked for a total of six hours, knocking on the doors of homes, carrying ladders wherever they went, and handing out information sheets regarding fire safety and resources for families.
By the end of the day, they had installed a total of 167 smoke alarms, gone inside 72 Clovis homes, and helped 97 residents of our city.
“Home fires are a constant threat in our community, accounting for most of our disaster responses,” shared interim regional CEO and Central Valley Executive Director Lori Wilson. “This weekend’s efforts will make a lasting difference to help save lives and protect those who are most vulnerable.”
But this isn’t the end of their mission, either – the American Red Cross also plans to visit Dinuba on March 1st to install smoke alarms with the Dinuba Fire Department and other community partners.
Volunteers also shared that families without functional smoke alarms in their homes can also book appointments with the American Red Cross for free. Interested families can fill out a request form on the American Red Cross website and wait to be contacted by a volunteer to schedule an appointment.
In the future, the organization hopes to prevent home fires in neighborhoods and mobile homes throughout California to make our communities safer and our people happier. Individuals interested in partnering with them to make that a reality can learn more about volunteering at https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html?srsltid=AfmBOopgzobWX74EWeyZFDvBmFDw5sTc6K6XfDFljC-niEHoUxrZz8PV.