Manassas Fire & Rescue to Give Away Over 600 Smoke Alarms

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During the month of October 2011 and in recognition of Fire Prevention Week, the City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department and the Old Town Business Association have joined together to help spread the word about fire prevention and the importance of having a working smoke detector in your home.

Thanks to a grant from the Factory Mutual Insurance Company, the Department was able to purchase over six hundred more smoke detectors to help support the program.

Prospero's Books, Ashby Jewelers, Ratcliffe Insurance, Whimsical Gallerie, Opera House Gourmet, and Fulton Bank have received boxes of smoke detectors to give to their customers that need one. 

The Prince William Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop located on Center Street has also received several boxes of smoke detectors to give away to customers of their store.

Fires can occur in a variety of ways and in any room of your home.  But no matter where or how, having a smoke alarm is the first key step towards your family's safety.  A smoke alarm stands guard around the clock and, when it first senses smoke, it sounds a shrill alarm.  This often allows a family the precious but limited time it takes to escape.

Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms are considered to be one of the best and least expensive means of providing an early warning of a potentially deadly fire and could reduce the risk of dying from a fire in your home by almost half.

In an effort to get smoke detectors into homes, the Fire and Rescue Department distributes free smoke detectors to citizens who requests one. 

Since 2009, firefighters have distributed over 2,000 free smoke detectors.  Many were installed by firefighters or given to residents by the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) at City events such as Town Hall meetings, the Annual Manassas Fall Jubilee, and the Hispanic Heritage Day.

Firefighters have gone door to door in some areas of the City asking if residents had a working smoke detector and offering to install one if needed.

In one neighborhood, firefighters gave away 224 smoke detectors to approximately 27% of the townhomes in the community.  Smoke detectors, installed by firefighters, in two townhouses alerted residents when a fire occurred in their homes.

Chief Brett R. Bowman of the City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department shares this advice with residents,  "A working smoke alarm can help you and your family escape a deadly home fire.  It can also help save the lives of firefighters who would otherwise have to risk their lives by searching a burning home for residents.  A working smoke alarm continuously scans the air for smoke, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  It never sleeps.  I encourage everyone to practice fire safety and do your part to get out, before firefighters have to come in." 

Remember this weekend to change your clock and check your smoke detectors!

As our nation moves back to Standard Time beginning this weekend, take time to test your home smoke alarms and replace the batteries. If you need a smoke detector for your home, you can visit one of the above businesses or contact the City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department at 703-257-8458 or send an email to firemarshal@manassasva.gov.



Author:Manassas Fire & Rescue Press Release