Baltimore mayor, firefighters go door to door offering smoke alarms to residents
BALTIMORE -- When was the last time you checked your smoke alarm? That's the question Baltimore City firefighters want you to ask yourself after noticing how many city residents neglect this vital device.
Dozens of firefighters, Red Cross members and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott walked door to door along Chatford Road on Saturday afternoon to check if people's smoke alarms were working.
This comes after a man died from a house fire on the same block over a month ago.
"Fire is no respecter of persons," Kevin Cartwright, the city fire department's director of communications, said. "It can claim my life. It can claim your life. And it certainly claimed the life of a resident here."
Fire Deputy Chief James Wallace said most house fires happen by accident.
"Examples are unattended cooking, smoking, electrical outlets and appliances are the leading causes of house fires in the city of Baltimore," Wallace said.
Smoke alarms should be installed on each level of your home and tested monthly. They are vital in saving your life, especially when you are fast asleep.
"The particles of combustion are toxic and it will simply place you in a deeper state of unconsciousness and you won't wake up," Cartwright said. "So having that early warning detection will give you the greatest chances of survival."
Wallace said studies show a working smoke alarm can reduce fire-related deaths by 50%.
Scott said there is no excuse for anyone to not have a working smoke alarm along with an escape plan.
"We want every single home in the city of Baltimore to have a fire safety plan," Scott said.
The city's fire department offers free smoke detectors at any time for anyone who may need them. Residents just need to call 311 and firefighters will show up to their door to install it.