Hundreds of smoke and CO Alarms available to Annapolis residents

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— Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides and Fire Chief David Stokes publicly thanked Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) for an Emergency Responder Safety Grant that will allow the City to install hundreds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and better protect Annapolis citizens.

The Annapolis Fire Department will benefit from the $10,000 BGE grant submitted by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). NFFF presented the alarms to the city, after purchasing them from Kidde, the world’s largest manufacturer of fire safety products. Kidde Community Affairs Manager Neal Zipser announced they will add an additional 100 alarms, bringing the total to 800.

“These alarms will offer ongoing protection to residents with no need for ongoing maintenance,” Mayor Pantelides said. “I offer my sincere thanks to BGE, Kidde, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for their support of our Fire Department and for the donation of these life-saving devices.”

The alarms Annapolis is receiving are powered by sealed-in, 10-year lithium batteries. Kidde’s new Worry-Free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms use one battery for the life of the alarm to provide 24/7 fire safety protection, eliminating the hassles of low battery chirps and battery replacement.

“The odds of surviving a home fire or carbon monoxide release increase greatly with the aid of early warning devices,” Fire Chief Stokes said. “This generous donation of smoke and CO alarms, on behalf of BGE and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, will ensure that our most vulnerable populations, including our seniors and low income citizens, have access to these life-saving devices.”

The Annapolis City Fire Department’s Smoke Alarm program has been in place for 15 years and has continued to provide fire safety protection for hundreds of families. The program gives citizens the ability to call and request installation of a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm. This program continues to see progress and builds on the department’s goal of reaching zero fire deaths.

“There is no doubt that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms save lives,” Executive Director of the National Firefighters Foundation Ronald Siarnicki said. “We are pleased to be able to help the Annapolis Fire Department by making these alarms available to the residents of Annapolis.”

If any resident in Annapolis is in need of an alarm, we urge them to call 410-260-2202 and request that a firefighter come to their home and install it.