Written by Shuli Lo
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Adriana DiBenedetto
Every second counts in a fire emergency, and with that urgent truth in mind, Tzu Chi volunteers continue their collaboration with the American Red Cross through its “Sound the Alarm” campaign. Now in its 11th year, the program provides free smoke detector installation to households throughout Los Angeles County with the shared goal of enhancing safety and peace of mind across the community.
Following the devastating January 2025 Southern California wildfires, concerns regarding home fire prevention have moved to the forefront of many local residents’ minds.
The State of California encourages all households to install smoke detectors, ensuring timely evacuation and a swift fire response. With this, more and more families have requested installations, hoping to protect their homes and loved ones from tragedy.
Promoting Awareness, One Alarm at a Time
The team of devoted volunteers gathered in City Terrace, California, with step stools and smoke detectors in hand, and determination in their hearts. Roughly 150 volunteers formed installation teams and dispersed across the neighborhood.
Some households had pre-registered for the service; others had not. The teams knocked on every door, ready to offer their support to whomever wished to make good use of the service that day. In many cases, they discovered homes with outdated or improperly placed alarms — or with no alarms at all.
“Los Angeles County requires every house to have smoke detectors, but many houses and apartments don’t have them,” explained David Hoy, a Tzu Chi volunteer and Red Cross Emergency Relief Team leader. “That’s why we go door to door, knocking on every door to ask if they have a smoke detector. We’ll install one for them if they don’t.”
If you have a smoke detector in the house, it’ll go off so you know where the fire is, and you can quickly call 911. Plus, you have two minutes to escape. It only takes two minutes for a fire to burn a home.
Two Minutes to Save a Life
A working smoke detector buys precious moments, and can make a big difference in fire response. On the day of the installation event, Tzu Chi volunteers carefully assessed each home. If they encountered old or broken alarms, they explained the need for replacement and installed new ones, now equipped with lithium batteries that can last up to ten years.
Volunteers also discussed emergency preparedness with the families they visited, helping them map out escape routes and understand what to do in the event of a fire. The experience, though practical in its execution, had emotional resonance for many participants.
Continuing the Mission of Preparedness
Micaela Lagdameo, a high school student and Red Cross volunteer, shared, “It’s very important to get this work done because we’re making people safer and more prepared. I went to a couple of homes and talked to them about disaster preparedness: What to do if there’s a house fire, and how to avoid house fires. That information is especially important because we’ve just had multiple crazy wildfires in California.”
I think it’s an important job, because not only are we helping people to be safer, we’re also helping people to feel safer, giving them a sense of security and getting prepared, which is very important.
Safety and Peace of Mind
That sense of security resonated with homeowners like Laura Borquez, who welcomed the team into her home. “There had just been a fire, and we didn’t really think about the severity of it,” she recalled. “Now, with the smoke detectors provided by the Red Cross, I think my family is safe — and not just my family, but our neighbors as well. The Red Cross also taught us about safe evacuation, and these good people made our escape routes a little bit easier. They told us not to wait to contact 911. As soon as we hear the smoke detector go off, we should get out and call 911. We’re safer and more secure now.”
Whether through disaster relief, education, or preventative measures like these, Tzu Chi’s mission remains rooted in compassion and service while planting seeds of awareness and resilience. By joining hands with the community and our partners, we can go even further.
