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The American Red Cross and the Selma Fire Department teamed together to install over 600 free smoke alarms for local families in Ward 7 on Monday.

A press conference was held Monday morning at RB Hudson Middle School to officially launch the Sound the Alarm event.

Selma City Councilwoman Jannie Thomas of Ward 7, Selma interim Fire Chief Franklin Edwards,  District 23 State Senator Robert Stewart and Kelly Hodges, Executive Director Central East Alabama Red Cross, attended the press conference. SFD members and other Red Cross members also attended.

“We started this intiative in 2014 to save lives,” Hodges said. “In just one day, you could help save a neighbor’s life by installing smoke alarms — which can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half.”

Thomas said she’s grateful that the American Red Cross and SFD came together to serve residents in Ward 7.

“I appreciate this,” Thomas said. “Every home in Ward 7 need smoke alarms. We’ve had a lot of fires in Ward 7. We’ve lost some lives because of fires.”

Betty Brooks told a story about an event she attended caught fire and how it changed her life.

Hodges presented Edwards with an award on behalf of the SFD for putting out fires in the area.

Sound the Alarm Event received donations from several regional partners: Alabama Power Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Brasfield & Gorrie, City of Montgomery, Harrison County, Mississippi, Jackson County, Mississippi, State Farm and Washington County, Mississippi.