Safety First Day of the Month - November

Safety First Day of the Month

This Friday is our November Safety First Day of the Month.  This is the day that we ask everyone to test thie smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. It is important that these life saving early alert alarms are working as we enter our cold winter months.  It is during this time of year that incidents of fire and carbon monoxide exposure increase.

Having a working smoke alarm, coupled with a home escape plan, dramatically increase the chances of surviving a fire in your home.

Have your home heating equipment cleaned and checked by a certified technician.  Many commercial HVAC companies offer special pricing to perform this important inspection.  Having properly maintained furnaces and fireplaces help prevent fires and reduce CO exposure.

On Sunday, November 3, we will adjust our clocks back one hour. This will also be the time to change the battery in your alarms.  Providing a fresh battery will provide renewed life to smoke and CO alarms that protect home occupants.  Remember we are entering the season where fires and CO exposure incidents are at it's highest.  If your alarms are around 10 years old, they have reached their point of life expectancy and need to be replaced.

Consider purchasing and installing a 10 year tamper proof with hush feature smoke alarm.  Installing this alarm will mean you never need to change your battery again.  Every 10 years you simply replace the alarm.  It is believed that these new 10 year alarms will save a high percentage of lives that are being lost in homes that do not have a working smoke alarm.  A new law was passed this year  requiring all Maryland homes to install the new 10 year alarms on every level of your home including    Sleeping areas.

July 2014 a law will require any home that has a fireplace, burns fuel for cooking or heat and homes with an attached garage to install and maintain a working CO alarm.  CO alarms are available in 10 year models.  A 10 year combination smoke/CO alarm are highly recommended.

On November 5, PEPCO will donate 500 smoke alarms to the Fire/EMS Department.  These alarms will be provided to homes where occupants can not afford to purchase their own alarms.

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