Safe Homes Silver Spring Campaign:
Silver Spring Fire Department Helping People Stay Safe at Home

The Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department (SSFD) is pleased to announce it has received a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to focus on injury prevention in the greater Silver Spring community. The project, “Safe Homes Silver Spring Campaign” will be introduced at an official campaign kick off on Wednesday, September 25th at 10:30 am at the Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. SSFD’s Life Safety Unit, the first all-volunteer unit of its kind in the state, will focus its efforts on improving home safety for at risk populations including older adults and individuals with disabilities. It will include an extensive public information campaign as well as home safety checkups. Smoke alarms, hearing impaired smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors will be installed as needed.

On Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 10 am Home Safety for Seniors will be presented by the Life Safety Unit of SSFD at the Clifton Park Baptist Church, 1420 Piney Branch Road, Silver Spring, Maryland as part of the Safe Homes Silver Spring Campaign. Seniors and other family members will learn how to make homes safer for individuals as they age. Home safety checkups, 10 year smoke alarm installation and smoke alarm assist devices for those who are deaf or hard of hearing will be offered.

SSFD’s goal is to reduce injury and death from fire, falls, and other home hazards in the Silver Spring community. It is fitting that we begin our campaign during National Falls Prevention Awareness Week since falls are the leading cause of home injury among those 65 and older. SSFD will work with the Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service (MCFRS), Silver Spring Senior Village, Senior Connection Montgomery and the Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services Resource Unit and the Montgomery County Recreation Department to perform community outreach through injury prevention and safety awareness education. The Clifton Park Baptist Church and the National Synagogue are faith based partners in this effort. SSFD will engage the community through a Home Safety Checkup program focused on installation of smoke alarms with 10 year sealed batteries and ancillary alert devices for the deaf and hard of hearing. In addition SSFD Life Safety Unit technicians will look for potential falls and other injury hazards.

SSFD established the Life Safety Unit to prevent injury and reduce 9-1-1 calls throughout Silver Spring and Montgomery County. This new unit is currently recruiting volunteers from across the region to join as volunteer life safety technicians.

Home Safety Checkups and smoke alarm installation will begin in late September. For further information email us at lifesafety@silverspringvfd.org, go to our website at www.silverspringvfd.org, visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SSVFD, or call 301-587-3400 and leave a message.