Fire Officials Call for Smoke Alarm Checks

Prince George's County and Maryland fire officials are trying to spread the word about a new state law which requires homes to be outfitted with long lasting, sealed in battery smoke alarms. 

The batteries are enclosed within the fire alarm itself and cannot be removed, they also have a long shelf life which can save time and hassle previously expended to repair a chirping smoke alarm's expired battery. 

The Prince George's County Fire Department has responded to a number of fatal house fires in recent years in which working smoke alarms were not present. 

After a fatal February fire in Glenarden which claimed the lives of a man and two children, PGFD Chief Marc Bashoor urged residents to make sure they had working smoke alarms. 

"We must constantly remind our communities that smoke alarms provide that first line of defense for early notification and survival," said Bashoor.