fire with firefighter generic

PHOTO: MGN

MARYLAND - The Maryland State Fire Marshal has released an open letter imploring Marylanders to be prepared and informed as fire deaths reach record levels in the state. 

Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci says the dramatic increase in fire deaths in this year’s first quarter is worse than any time in recent years. Almost 40 Marylanders have died to fire in the past three months, according to Geraci. It is a trend he says we must decelerate. 

According to the Marshal, modern fires now burn hotter and faster than ever, and the toxic smoke they produce kill quickly. Victims have the least amount of time to escape a fire than at any point in history, he says.

Geraci outlines five steps Marylanders can take to stay prepared and safe:  

  • Have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom. Battery-only alarms must be a ten-year sealed battery alarm. Call the local fire department or the State Fire Marshal’s Office if you need smoke alarms. They are free, and we will even install them for you. 

  • At night, make sure all bedroom doors are closed, and be sure to close all doors behind you when you are escaping a fire. This will prevent the spread of smoke and fire throughout your home and give you time to be rescued if trapped by a fire.

  • Meet with your family and develop an escape plan, have two ways out of every room. Make sure door locks are openable without using a key, and that bedroom windows are operational from the inside. Have a meeting place outside the home so your family can ensure everyone got out. 

  • Get out and Stay Out Always! Once out, NEVER EVER go back inside a burning building! You will not come back out alive. 

  • Once out, make that 911 call immediately to the fire department to get them started as soon as possible. 

“Please remember that fire is everyone’s fight,” Geraci says in his letter. “We need your help to prevent fires in your homes to keep you, your family, and our firefighters safe. These five steps will help save you and your family in the event of an unwanted fire in your home.”

 

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