Red Cross and Firefighters Canvass Community with Fire Safety Message

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930, mebrady@co.pg.md.us

Volunteer members of the American Red Cross, National Capital Region, joined firefighter/medics from the Hyattsville area this morning in a fire safety campaign. On Friday morning, June 10, 2011, about 2-dozen Red Cross volunteers met with firefighters at the Hyattsville Fire/EMS Station #801 and identified communities to visit and items to discuss with citizens ad residents concerning fire safety.


Acting Fire Chief Marc Bashoor stated, “We are proud to team-up with the American Red Cross and pleased that they are taking the initiative to help prevent fires and keeping everyone safe. Remember, Safety first ensures everyone goes home.”

Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department President Dave J. Iannone stated, “The membership of the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department is here to assist in any way to make this effort a success. Normally, we only see firefighters out in the communities going door-to-door with fire safety information, we are grateful for the interest and assistance provided by the Red Cross today.”

The Red Cross provided door hangers (see below), in both English and Spanish, with information on how to prevent a fire and the importance of having working smoke alarms and creating an escape plan. Just this past week a fire destroyed the home of country singer Trace Adkins. Adkins and his wife credit the Brentwood, Tennessee Firefighters for teaching a fire safety class at their daughter’s elementary school which taught them how to plan an escape from their home and meet at a designated place outside. Adkins three young daughters and a nanny put the home escape plan to good use by escaping without injury and meeting at their designated spot outside; no one was injured in that fire.

The Volunteers of the Hyattsville Station generously offered their station as a base of operations for the Red Cross for the day and helped to coordinate the day’s events. Prince George's County Firefighter/Medics from Hyattsville, Bunker Hill and both Chillum-Adelphi Fire/EMS Stations joined forces with Red Cross volunteers in distributing fire safety information and checking smoke alarms.

County residents in need of a working smoke alarm can call our SAFETY FIRST SMOKE ALARM line at 301-864-SAFE (7233) and arrange for a firefighter to visit your home and install a working smoke alarm free of charge.

For additional information on having firefighters teach a fire safety class, including developing a home escape plan, contacts our Community Outreach office at 301-883-5250.


The combined Red Cross and Firefighter/Medics group before being
deployed into the community to provide fire safety information





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