An Important Message To Citizens

The Hagerstown Fire Department cares about the safety of your family. Our staff is dedicated to providing quality fire suppression and life safety education to the citizens we serve.

Citizen response to our education efforts has been very impressive. An example of this response is the fact that over 95 percent of city homes are equipped with smoke alarms. While we are pleased to report that this statistic is higher than the national average, we must always strive to improve our success.

The purpose of this brochure is to share the basic concepts of life safety. If you have children, we encourage you to take an active role in the presentation and reinforcement of these lessons. While the information may seem very basic, young children require repetition and review to insure they have learned the material.

For your convenience, we have italicized and bolded the vital concepts. The concepts are followed by important information which will help you review the lesson with your child. The material will also provide you with knowledge to evaluate the life safety conditions within your home and make adjustments as needed. A home life safety check list is included at the conclusion of this brochure.

The safety of your family is a personal responsibility that we urge you to take very seriously. Unfortunately, our jobs as firefighters often place us in direct contact with families experiencing the worst of tragedies. In many cases, the victims knew the proper safety rules, but simply failed to practice them. Please, act today by making life safety a priority in your family. We hope this brochure will assist you with keeping your home and family safe.

Chief Gary R. Hawbaker
Officers and Firefighters
Hagerstown Fire Department