The fire departments throughout the Prince George’s County will be conducting a door to door fire safety and smoke alarm awareness campaign this month.
A fire which resulted in three fatalities in the Lewisdale neighborhood may have been prevented , or the residents may have self evacuated safely had there been a working smoke alarm in the house. A survey by PGFD/EMS indicates that as many as 25% of the homes in the County may not have a working smoke alarm.
Winter and the holidays often present additional fire risks such as space heaters, candles, unattended cooking.
Please make sure to check there are working smoke alarms in every area of the home used for sleeping and on every level of the home. If you don’t have any for your home yet, you can contact alarm fitters.
If a resident needs fire prevention information, or cannot afford a smoke alarm, or needs assistance in properly placing smoke alarms, please call PGFD/EMS at 301.864.7233, the local fire station, or the City Code Enforcement office for assistance.
The most fire safe homes are those equipped with both working smoke alarms and automatic fire sprinklers. Even then, proactive fire safe behavior is necessary to prevent injuries.