Home Fire Safety Visit Program
- If this is an EMERGENCY, call 911.
- If you have an urgent or immediate need related to your smoke alarms, please call Montgomery County's non-emergency phone number at 301-279-8000.
- Please click on the link in the graphic below to request an in-person or virtual appointment after reading the important information below.
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Ensuring your home has current, up-to-date, and working smoke alarms greatly increases the chance of surviving a fire. Smoke alarms provide early warning of a fire, giving you and your family time to react and evacuate. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) provides complimentary home safety visits for residents of Montgomery County. Click below for more information.
The dates of Construction Permits dictate the type and location of Smoke Alarms. Smoke alarms powered by batteries alone are allowed if the home was built before building codes required hard-wired units. Effective January 1, 2018, these battery-only smoke alarms are required to be equipped with a 10-year, long-life nonremovable battery. For homes constructed after July, 1975 Code requirements mandate that smoke alarms be hard-wired directly into the home’s electrical system and have a battery back-up to keep the unit functioning during a power outage. To know what type of smoke alarms you need, gather the answers to these questions:
- What YEAR was the property built?
- Is the current system hard-wired with a battery back-up (the battery back-up is in the event of a power outage) or battery-only (not connected into your home’s electrical system) which are traditionally found in pre-1975 houses?
- Where are the smoke alarms located?
The department does not install or replace hardwired smoke alarms. To determine what your home requires see smoke alarm requirments for more information.
Residents of Montgomery County, Maryland may request a free home safety visit. The installation of free alarms is targeted to high risk individuals that include older adults and senior citizens, individuals with mobility, vision, or hearing impairments and residents who may have a disability or be economically challenged. A combination of factors typically increases the risk of fires significantly.
Do you rent? Review the section dedicated to rental properties before requesting a home safety visit.
If you rent your home, please review your renter’s agreement to determine the responsibility for providing and maintaining working smoke alarms in your residence. There are State requirements that address the legal requirements in rental units.
Is this a rental property? In Maryland, landlords, property management companies, or property owners are legally required to provide, install, and replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Tenants play a crucial role in ensuring rental property safety by maintaining these alarms. It is the responsibility of tenants to keep alarms in good working condition and to promptly report any malfunctions or issues to the landlord or property manager.
Specially designed smoke alarms are available for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Please indicate on the request form that you need information regarding these types of alarms.
A representative from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service will check your home’s smoke alarms to see if they are working properly. Batteries will be changed if necessary and smoke alarms found to be outdated or not working properly will be recommended for replacement. Trained personnel will identify hazards often unnoticed in the home. In most cases, a few simple maintenance and housekeeping procedures can make your home safer. Personnel will also fully explain how your new smoke alarm functions and how to maintain it.
To have a home safety check or smoke alarms checked/installed, a family member who is 18 years or older must be home. The family is asked to make a commitment to maintain and test their smoke alarms monthly, develop a home fire escape plan, and practice escape routes regularly.
Fire Safety Tips:
- CHECK your smoke alarms: Test smoke alarm monthly to ensure they are working.
- COUNT your smoke alarms: Install smoke alarm inside each sleeping room, in areas outside each sleeping room. and on every level of your home.
- VACUUM your smoke alarms: Follow manufacturer recommendations to regularly clean and dust smoke alarms to help keep them functioning properly.
- REPLACE your smoke alarms: Check the manufacture date printed on your smoke alarm. Smoke alarms expire and should be replaced every 10 years, based on manufacturer recommendations and Maryland Law.
- What about batteries? If your home was permitted before July, 1975 and your property has not been renovated, your home may be protected by battery-only smoke alarms. Battery-operated smoke alarms are required (as of 2018) to have sealed-in, ten-year, long-life batteries that last the service of the alarm. If your home was permitted on/after July 1, 1975, Code requires hard-wired smoke alarms with battery back-ups. Be sure to check the “back up” battery in your hard-wired smoke alarms and replace batteries twice a year or as soon as the alarm “chirps” indicating the battery is low.
- Know the sound: Ensure each person in your home can hear and recognize the sound of the smoke alarm and knows to react immediately. Assistive devices are available for those who are deaf or have other special needs. Call 311 for more information and to be connected with our team.