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Message from the County Fire Marshal
Recovering From A Fire
Recovering from a fire can be a tremendous physical and mental burden. After a fire, lives are suddenly turned upside down and often, the hardest part is knowing where to begin and who to contact.
The purpose of this information is to provide you with assistance to recover as quickly as possible following a fire.
Please take the time to visit each of the pages,They will provide you with some basic guidance on what actions you will need to take.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services at 301-600-1479.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. It is a common byproduct of incomplete combustion that is produced when fuels such as oil, gas, coal or wood are burned.
Carbon monoxide can be produced by gas or oil burning appliances such as furnaces, clothes dryers, water heaters, ranges, ovens, or space heaters. Carbon monoxide is also produced by fireplaces and wood burning stoves.
Note: Because you can't see, taste, or smell carbon monoxide, it can make you sick or even kill you.
Carbon monoxide can be produced by gas or oil burning appliances such as furnaces, clothes dryers, water heaters, ranges, ovens, or space heaters. Carbon monoxide is also produced by fireplaces and wood burning stoves.
Note: Because you can't see, taste, or smell carbon monoxide, it can make you sick or even kill you.
What Are the Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be mild to life-threatening. Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms can be similar to the flu and often include headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, and fatigue. Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, confusion, irritability, and in the most severe case, unconsciousness and death.Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms become more severe as the level of carbon monoxide increases and/or the length of exposure continues.
If you experience any of these symptoms and suspect that carbon monoxide may be a factor, get out of the house immediately and call 911. The Fire Department has a special meter to determine if there are high levels of carbon monoxide and they attempt to locate the problem. If carbon monoxide is determined to be the problem, the source of the carbon monoxide must be eliminated before you can return to your home.
How Can I Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
The proper maintenance and use of fuel-burning appliances is essential to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. Every property owner, property manager, or landlord should:- Check all appliances that use natural gas, oil, wood or kerosene. These include water heaters, clothes dryers, ranges, ovens, gas-powered refrigerators, and portable heaters.
- Check all of your ventilation systems such as flues, chimneys, and fireplaces for cracks and blockages.
- Ensure that household appliances are installed and running correctly. Have a professional technician check fuel-burning appliances, furnaces, chimneys and vents at least annually for blockages, corrosion, debris and faulty connections.
- Make sure space heaters are vented properly.
- Never burn charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent.
- Never leave a car running in an attached garage, even if the garage door is open.
- Never operate generators indoors.
- Never operate unvented fuel-burning appliances in a room with closed doors or windows or in rooms where people are sleeping.
- Never use gasoline-powered tools and engines indoors.
- Never use gas-powered appliances such as an oven or clothes dryer for heating a home.
- Use a professional and licensed contractor to service fuel-burning appliances and equipment.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all of the alarms throughout the home so that if one sounds, they all sound.
Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all of the alarms throughout the home so that if one sounds, they all sound.
- A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.
- Choose a carbon monoxide alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
- During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting height.
- If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the Fire Department.
- If the carbon monoxide alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until the Fire Department arrives.
- If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if the garage doors are open.
- Test your carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month; replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
What Fireworks are Legal in Frederick County?
In Frederick County, only gold label sparklers, novelty items, and ground-based sparklers are legal.
It is illegal to discharge fireworks or possess with the intent to discharge any firework that explodes, rises into the air, moves across the ground or shoots projectiles into the air.
Illegal devices include, but are not limited to:
- Firecrackers
- Pop bottle rockets
- Roman candles as well as other consumer and commercial shell devices
Approved Displays / Devices
Approved Public Fireworks DisplaysApproved Ground Base Sparkling Devices for Sale/Use in Frederick County, Maryland
What are the Penalties for Discharging Illegal Fireworks?
A $500 civil citation and/or a criminal penalties can be imposed upon anyone who possesses fireworks with the intent to discharge or discharges fireworks without a permit or not in accordance with other local and state regulations. Each firework is considered a separate offense.
At the expense of the owner, all fireworks possessed or sold in violation of local or state regulations will be seized and forfeited in accordance with Maryland Public Safety Article 10-111.
How Can I Get Rid of Illegal Fireworks?
Just call us!
If you wish to report someone setting off fireworks in your neighborhood, please call the non-emergency phone number for Emergency Communications at 301-600-1603.
If you have fireworks that you want to dispose of you may do so by contacting the office of the Fire Marshal at 301-600-1479. We will gladly pick them up and safely dispose of them.
Civil or criminal penalties will not be imposed for voluntarily forfeiting illegal fireworks.
The office of the Fire Marshal recommends that you view fireworks at one of the many public fireworks displays located throughout the county and surrounding areas.
Post Your Address Please!
Could We Find You If Your Life Depended On It?
In an emergency, ambulance, fire, and Police depend on house numbers to find your residence as quickly as possible. At night, finding your home may be especially difficult if address numbers are unreadable, not present, hidden, unlighted or have missing numbers or letters.
Emergency responders may be delayed in getting to you as quickly as possible.
Address Posting Quiz
- Are your house numbers visible from the street?
- Do they contrast with their background so that they are easily seen?
- If your house can not be seen from the street or is farther than 75 feet off the road, are your address numbers posted on a remote address sign, and on your mailbox?
- Is your mobile home identified with your house number?
- Does your house number face the street named in your address?
If you’ve answered "no" to any of these questions, please read below to make sure your house number is easy to read and that you can be found in an emergency. Your life or the life of a loved 1 could depend on it!
Posting Guidelines
- Numbers must be visible from the street and within 3 feet of your front door. Existing residential home numbering can remain if in existence at the time of the ordinance, however new residential homes must be at least 4 inches high and if you replace existing numbers they must be at least 4 inches high.
- Numbers must be placed on a contrasting background and should have a reflective coating on the numbers for easy visibility at night.
- Repair or replace aging address numbers, especially on mailboxes that are a distance from the front of the residence. Numbers should be located on both sides of your mailbox and should be separate from your mailbox if they can not be seen in both directions of travel.
- Make sure that your landscaping does not obscure the visibility of your address.
- If your house sits more than 75 feet off of the roadway or is not visible from the street, remote address signs must be used with at least 4-inch high numbers within 10 feet of your driveway entrance and within 5 feet of either side of your driveway.
The Frederick County Addressing Ordinance was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners for your safety so that emergency responders can find you or your loved 1 as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency.
Failure to properly post your address may result in a civil fine of $25.
Remember, your life or the life of your loved 1 may depend on our being able to find you quickly!
Note: Address posting for multifamily residential (apartments and condominiums) and commercial properties have different requirements.
No One in Frederick County Should Be Without Working Smoke Alarms
Proper Smoke Alarm Placement
Dear Residents of Frederick County, thank you for taking the time to read this important message. As a life-long resident of Frederick County and a member of the fire and rescue service for over 30 years, I can say without a doubt that you have a well trained and dedicated fire and rescue service ready to serve and protect you at a moment’s notice. Whether you are in need of emergent assistance or just have a question or concern, the men and women that comprise the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services stand at the ready to help.
Proper Smoke Alarm Placement
Dear Residents of Frederick County, thank you for taking the time to read this important message. As a life-long resident of Frederick County and a member of the fire and rescue service for over 30 years, I can say without a doubt that you have a well trained and dedicated fire and rescue service ready to serve and protect you at a moment’s notice. Whether you are in need of emergent assistance or just have a question or concern, the men and women that comprise the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services stand at the ready to help.
Importance of Smoke Alarms
Nationally, the fire service has emphasized, for years, the importance of having properly installed and maintained smoke alarms in your home. This emphasis is no different in Frederick County and the message is clear - smoke alarms save lives. Yet, our experience shows that it is still an all-too-common occurrence to find residences with non-working smoke alarms or no smoke alarms at all. This is not an acceptable risk to us in the fire and rescue service and it does not have to be a risk that you and your loved ones have to accept. Through a weekly door-to-door campaign over the past year, your local fire departments have visited over 4,000 homes, installed over 500 smoke alarms, replaced over 300 smoke alarm batteries, and checked over 1,500 smoke alarms for proper operation. A phone call or email is all that it takes to make sure that you, your family, and loved ones have working smoke alarms in your home. If you need assistance with installation, have general questions or cannot afford a smoke alarm for your primary residence, please contact us at 301-600-7275 or smokealarm@frederickcountymd.gov. Remember, 65% of home fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarms. Why live with this statistic when you do not have to? Your smoke alarms are the single most important piece of equipment in your home and probably the cheapest to maintain. Please read the smoke alarm information contained on this website and call today if you need assistance. There's no excuse for not having properly installed or maintained smoke alarms!Please take the time to contact us! Your life may depend upon it!
Hearing Impaired Alarms
If you are hearing impaired and in need of a visual smoke alarm, please visit www.fabscom.org.