Partnering Up To Help Make Our Seniors Safe

MCFRS and Red Cross teamed up for a Senior Safety outreach effort yesterday. Working with Meals on Wheels, more than a dozen homes had a home fire safety evaluation. 

Smoke alarms were checked and any potential fire and/or injury hazards identified! If smoke alarms were not working, crews either installed a new alarm or battery depending on the circumstance.

More than a dozen homes are a little bit safer now than before yesterday!

It's Wear Red Day! Learn Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attacks

It's National Wear Red Day; an effort to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women! Did you know that heart disease and stroke kill 1 in 3 women?

While we certainly encourage all of our residents to be proactive and learn how to possibly prevent a heart attack or stroke, we also want you to recognized the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

A heart attack is a life-and-death emergency and every second counts. If you experience or see someone with any of the listed symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1. Not all these signs occur in every heart attack. Sometimes they go away and return. Heart attack victims can benefit from new medications and treatments unavailable to patients in years past. For example, clot-busting drugs can stop some heart attacks and strokes in progress, reducing disability and saving lives. But to be effective, these drugs must be given relatively quickly after heart attack or stroke symptoms first appear. So again, don't delay-get help right away! Call 9-1-1.

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

Chest discomfort:

Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body:

Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of breath:

May occur with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs:

These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

If you or someone with you has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don't delay - call 9-1-1 immediately.

Montgomery County Police Blood and Food Drive

MCP Blood Drive 2015

Blood Drive in Memory of Father – Son Fire Fighters a Success!

By: Battalion Chief Steve Mann

This past Sunday, November 2^nd, a blood drive was held in memory of Fire Fighters Carlos Alfaro,

Sr. and Carlos Alfaro, Jr. at Silver Spring Fire Station #16. 

The family and friends would like to thank Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Dept., Hillandale Volunteer Fire Dept., Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Dept., Takoma Park Lions Club, Giant Food in White Oak, Woodmoor Bakery and INOVA Blood Services staff and all our volunteers for their support and hard work on a successful blood drive. And a heartfelt “thank you” to our amazing donors!

The results of this year’s blood drive:

Registered – 64

Deferred – 10

Collected – 56

56 Units collected = 168 Lives saved!

Blood Drive In Memory of Father And Son Firefighters

Please consider supporting this important cause in memory of two of our own. Thanks to NewsChannel 8 and ABC7 for the coverage:
 

In Memory of Fire Fighters Carlos Alfaro, Sr. and Carlos Alfaro, Jr.
Sunday, November 2nd 8AM – 2PM
Fire Station 16 111 University Blvd. E.Silver Spring, MD

Save Lives,Donate Blood… 

We appreciate a call to confirm an appointment with:Steve Mann, 240-438-2461

Montgomery County Public Safety Blood and Food Drive

Please consider participating in this worthy cause!  Also, please share and pass this along to friends and family.

  MoCo Public Safety Blood and Food Drive

Early Morning Fire in Olney

IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 4, 2013

Early Morning Fire in Olney

Montgomery County, MD - - -  Montgomery County Fire and Rescue units were dispatched shortly before 2:30 this morning for the report of a house fire in the 18400 block of Queen Elizabeth Drive in Olney.  First arriving units encountered heavy fire conditions in the area of the home’s carport and requested additional units. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and quickly controlled the fire.

Investigators were requested to the scene and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. An occupant in the home reported smelling smoke and then seeing flames in the carport area and quickly evacuated everyone from the home. Once outside, they called 911. The occupants reported that the smoke alarm activated.

Damage estimates are $200,000 ($150K to the structure/$50K to the contents). Four occupants of the home were displaced and Red Cross was contacted to assist them.

Fire officials remind residents of the following important safety tips:

-  Install working smoke alarms on every level of your home including basements and in all
sleeping areas. If your alarms are hard-wired, be sure they have a battery back-up.

-  All smoke alarms have expiration dates and should be replaced every ten years, even if they appear to be working. Follow manufacturer recommendations.

-  Smoke alarms should be tested monthly and batteries changed annually, according to manufacturer recommendations. A “chirping” sound may indicate that your battery is low and needs to be changed right away.

-  Make sure your house number is clearly visible from the street so that police and fire/rescue personnel can easily see your address in the event of an emergency.

-  Establish a meeting place outside your home. Every family member should participate in practice escape drills at least two times per year. And in the event of an emergency, always call 911 from a safe place.

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