For residents in need of a home safety check, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is offering residents the choice between a free home safety visit or virtual assistance. The program aims to ensure that residents have smoke alarms at home that are working—and are properly installed.
All Montgomery County residents are eligible; however, the program focuses on high risk individuals, including “senior citizens, those with mobility, vision or hearing impairments and residents who may have a disability or be economically challenged.”
“The goal of the program is to educate residents about fire safety, check smoke alarms to ensure they are up-to-date and working,” the request form states. “Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.”
The program makes an exception for hardwired smoke alarms and asks that residents allow up to five business days for a response. Residents interested in utilizing this program can make a request here.
If a request is accepted, “a representative from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service will check your home’s smoke alarms to see if they are working properly,” the website states. “Batteries will be changed if necessary and smoke alarms found to be outdated or not working properly will be recommended for replacement.”
According to the program website, MCFRS will also work to identify unnoticed hazards in the household and even implement simple maintenance and housekeeping procedures to ensure safety within the home.
Residents who are deaf, or hard of hearing, may also request information regarding specially designed smoke alarms.
“To have a home safety check or smoke alarms checked/installed, a family member who is 18 years or older must be home,” the program website states. “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.”
For more information and fire safety tips, residents can visit the program website here. Those with an urgent need regarding a smoke alarm are asked to call Montgomery County’s non-emergency phone number at 301-279-8000.
Would you be impressed if we could tell you over the phone if your smoke alarms are expired?
Need a virtual appointment? They are STILL one of our most popular programs for folks on-the-go!
➡️All the info or call 311 https://t.co/jOLJJlzvma pic.twitter.com/K2p2cnfV5b
— MontgomeryCo(MD)Fire (@mcfrs) November 3, 2022
