The county council proclaimed October as Fire Prevention Month and recognized the 45th anniversary of Montgomery County’s smoke alarm law.
In the late 1970s, the county was the first major jurisdiction in the country to adopt a law requiring installation of smoke alarms in all homes, Councilmember Sidney Katz said Tuesday.
Katz stated the law “has had a profound impact on reducing the number of fire deaths in the county.”
In the first 10 years of that law, there was a 62% reduction in residential fire deaths, said County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Earl Stoddard.
Stoddard recalled the “painful hours” with the family of 25-year-old Melanie Diaz after her death in a high-rise apartment fire in downtown Silver Spring this year. He said her family continues to advocate for actions around sprinklers in high-rise buildings.
After the fire, a new state-level sprinkler bill was introduced and named after Diaz. It did not pass during the last General Assembly session.
Stoddard reminded residents of fire prevention actions like having batteries in fire alarms, closing the door before going to sleep and having a plan to get the family out of the house if it is burning.
Fatal residential fires most commonly happen when residents are asleep, Katz said.
State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci said there have been 67 confirmed fire deaths across the state so far this year.
Interim Fire Chief John Kinsley gave kudos to fire prevention leaders.
