Having a working smoke alarm increases chances of surviving a fire by more than 50%, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Milwaukee Fire Department Chief Aaron Lipski said local records indicate the percentage is much higher at a press conference on March 10 at Station 13, 2901 N. 30th St. The department and American Red Cross of Wisconsin are providing free smoke alarms to improve fire safety.
“Working smoke alarms give families the one thing that you need most in an emergency – time to escape and time to survive,” said Dr. Ben Weston, chief health policy advisor for Milwaukee County, at the press conference.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said low-income communities often have higher rates of residential fires.
“It’s the result of older houses, which quite often have older electrical wiring that has never been updated to handle the demand of our modern lives,” Crowley said.
Located in the Amani neighborhood, Engine 13 is the busiest fire station in the state, Lipski said. It had 316 fire responses in 2024, according to the Milwaukee Fire Department’s annual report.
When to replace your smoke alarms?
Crowley recommended changing the batteries on a regular smoke alarm while changing clocks for daylight savings time to help remember to change them twice a year.
A property owner or landlord is responsible for installing a working smoke alarm outside every bedroom and on every floor of a residential unit and in common spaces, according to state statute.
“And so if your smoke detector is missing, broken or was never there to begin with, that is something for your landlord to address,” Crowley said.
He said the maintenance, including changing of batteries, is the responsibility of the tenant. Testing is recommended once a month.
How to get smoke alarms for free
Milwaukee Fire Department will install free smoke alarms to Milwaukee residents who live in a single or duplex house and cannot afford an alarm.
To sign up, call the Smoke Alarm Hotline at 414-286-8980 and leave a message in English or Spanish. The department will call back and schedule a time to visit your home for installation.
Lipski said the department distributed 11,200 smoke alarms in 2025 and hopes to do more in 2026. He said the department covers the cost with grant opportunities through the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation or through operational funds.
The American Red Cross of Wisconsin works with residents to make their homes fire resistant with the Home Fire Campaign, which launched nationwide in 2014.
“Through this program, we install free smoke alarms and teach families how to also create a safe plan to help get out of those homes safely,” said Malysha MacFarland, community disaster program manager.
The organization installed 2,048 smoke alarms across 710 homes in 2024 and 2025 in Milwaukee County, according to Jen Warren, regional communications director.
Milwaukee residents can receive free smoke alarms and fire safety plans at a Sound the Alarm event from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 30. Teams of workers and volunteers will start at the Milwaukee Safety Academy, 6680 N. Teutonia Ave., and visit homes to install and check smoke alarms.
“Our goal this year for the Milwaukee Fire Department is 300 people made safer,” MacFarland said of the Sound the Alarm event.
Sign up for a home visit at redcross.org/WIsmokealarms or call 888-376-4056. To learn about volunteering at the event, visit redcross.org/volunteer.
The installed smoke alarms have a 10-year lithium sealed battery, so they won’t chirp every few months, according to Lipski. The whole alarm will need replacement after 10 years.
Both the fire department and the Red Cross have bed shaker alarms available for deaf and hard-of-hearing residents, as well as written materials they can provide in multiple languages.
