ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Volunteers and staff of the American Red Cross of Western New York teamed up Saturday to install free smoke alarms for local families vulnerable to home fires.

The National Red Cross Sound the Alarm initiative carries a goal for the installation of 300 free smoke alarms, as well as fire safety education for what the organizations says saves lives.

The organization says the initiative has already helped save at least 1,723 lives nationally and 47 in the Western New York region since it launched in October 2014.

American Red Cross Disaster Officer Ken Turner says the amount of people who don’t have smoke detectors or disaster plans doesn’t surprise him.

“It’s not a front of mind type of thing,” Turner said. “Individuals fail to plan. When something occurs, they try to incorporate that plan, and it might not be a good plan at that point.”

Turner adds while the installation of the alarm is crucial, the education that comes with the campaign is the key takeaway.

“When the alarm goes off, what do you do next?” Turner said. “Do you have a central meeting place outside your home where you can do a headcount with everyone to ensure that they’re safe? That’s what’s really important, because if people just scurry and go different places, people may go back into their home, and that’s usually when the fatalities occur.”

Anyone interested in receiving one of these smoke alarms can fill out the form on Red Cross’ website.