MCFRS News Release

Pepco Donates Smoke Alarms to

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service

Friday, November 1, 2013
1:00 p.m. Fire Station 25

14401 Connecticut Avenue

Layhill, Maryland 20906

Montgomery County, MD - -  Fire Chief Steven Lohr will accept a generous donation of 10-year smoke alarms and special needs smoke alarms, designed for the deaf and hard of hearing, from Pepco officials on Friday, November 1st. Smoke alarms are one of the most important safety features to have in your home. These smoke alarms will be used in conjunction with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service’s “Safety in Our Neighborhood” door-to-door, community safety and injury prevention campaign.

Maryland is the most recent state to require homeowners replace battery-only operated smoke alarms with units powered by sealed, long-life batteries by January 1, 2018. Smoke alarm technology has advanced over the years and the recent legislative update to Maryland’s Smoke Alarm Law is part of a nationwide trend to ensure future smoke alarm replacements possess this new technology. It is anticipated that smoke alarms equipped with long-life batteries will have a significant impact on reducing the number of residential fire deaths.       

For years and as part of its long-standing commitment to public safety, Pepco’s Emergency Services Partnership Program has donated smoke alarms to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service,” Chief Lohr said. “In today’s challenging economic times, this donation comes at a critical time and will help fill an important resource need. Smoke alarm technology continues to improve and simply having smoke alarms is not enough. Maintenance is critical to ensuring these alarms always remain in working order.”

“Pepco is proud to support an initiative that is so important to our customers, communities and First Responders. Pepco truly appreciates the dedication of the men and women of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and hopes that our annual donation in some small way contributes to the lifesaving work they do every day for the residents of Montgomery County," said George Nelson, Pepco Holdings Vice President of Operations & Engineering. "This donation is a great way to support the community and strengthen the partnerships that exist between our First Responders,” says Nelson. “All of us at Pepco are very proud of the excellent working relationship we have with our first responders throughout our service territory.”

As daylight savings time comes to an end this weekend and residents prepare to change their clocks, fire fighters are reminding residents to also check their smoke alarms and install new batteries as needed. With cold weather arriving, working smoke alarms provide vital, early warning of fire or smoke conditions. They can truly be life-saving. “We are proud to partner with Pepco and thank them for their generous donation. These smoke alarms will have a significant impact in keeping our residents safe and reducing the number of residential fire deaths,” said Chief Lohr.   

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