Community Safety & Fire Prevention FAQ

Call 911 for an immediate threat to life, serious injury, fire, or another emergency. Give the call taker the location and what happened, answer questions, and follow instructions. If you can do so safely, send someone to help responders find the address.

Reference: St. Mary’s County CARE Guide

Make sure the scene is safe. Call 911 for severe or life-threatening bleeding. Apply firm, direct pressure to the wound with a clean dressing or cloth and keep pressure on it. If bleeding is from an arm or leg and a tourniquet is available, follow its instructions. Continue care until bleeding stops, help takes over, or the scene becomes unsafe.

Reference: American Red Cross: Life-Threatening External Bleeding

Use the safest exit away from smoke and heat. If you cannot get out, close doors between you and the fire, call 911, report your exact location, and signal from a window if possible. Do not re-enter a burning building.

Reference: NFPA: Home Fire Escape Planning

Plan and practice two ways out of each room where possible, keep exits clear and usable, choose an outside meeting place, and make sure everyone knows to get out and stay out. Include a plan for anyone who may need help escaping. Practice twice a year. A home fire may leave occupants less than two minutes to escape after a smoke alarm sounds.

References: NFPA: Home Fire Escape Planning · USFA: Smoke Alarms

No. Once outside, stay outside. Call 911 and tell responders who may still be inside and where they were last seen. Re-entering can put you and others in danger.

Reference: NFPA: Home Fire Escape Planning

USFA recommends smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement. Maryland OSFM guidance identifies requirements for every level and sleeping area. Interconnected alarms provide additional warning by causing connected alarms to sound together. Follow the alarm manufacturer’s instructions and ask the local authority about requirements for a specific property.

References: USFA: Smoke Alarms · Maryland OSFM: Get Alarmed Maryland

Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pressing the test button. USFA says to replace the whole alarm 10 years after its manufacture date. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for batteries and any different replacement schedule required for a specific alarm.

References: USFA: Smoke Alarms · Maryland OSFM: Get Alarmed Maryland

Get everyone outside immediately using the safest exit, go to your meeting place, and call 911 from outside. Stay outside. Do not stop to collect belongings.

Reference: NFPA: Home Fire Escape Planning

Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that cannot be detected by sight or smell. Install and maintain CO alarms according to the manufacturer’s instructions and applicable local requirements. If a CO alarm sounds, move everyone to fresh air outside and call 911 or the local fire department from outside. Confirm placement and local requirements with your local fire department or the Maryland OSFM.

Reference: NFPA carbon monoxide safety resources

BDVFD accepts fire prevention information and visit requests through its Fire Prevention and Life Safety page. Several weeks’ notice is recommended, and availability depends on emergency response staffing. Contact BDVFD through that page for current details.

Reference: BDVFD Fire Prevention and Life Safety

Maryland Forest Service rules apply to burning in woodland, within 200 feet of woodland, or near flammable material that could carry fire to woodland. To burn in the open under these rules, all of the following must be met: a natural or constructed firebreak at least 10 feet wide surrounds the material and is free of flammable material; adequate personnel and equipment are on hand to keep the fire from escaping; at least one responsible person stays with the fire until the last spark is out; and burning is done only between 4 p.m. and midnight (any time of day if the ground is snow-covered). A Maryland DNR Forest Service Open Air Burning permit is required for this kind of burning; contact your local Forest Service office to obtain one. During prolonged or unusual conditions that make wildfire easy to start and spread, the Forest Service Director may ban all open-air burning statewide or in a specific area. These rules do not apply inside the limits of incorporated towns or to small recreational fires such as campfires, but other state or local requirements may still apply.

Reference: Maryland Forest Service: Open Air Burning

Start with the County’s Fire & Rescue Services page for local department contacts and the CARE Guide for preparedness information. For an emergency, call 911.

References: St. Mary’s County Fire & Rescue Services · St. Mary’s County CARE Guide

Check that the area is safe. If an adult or teen is unresponsive and is not breathing normally or is only gasping, call 911 and begin CPR. For a sudden collapse of a teen or adult, a bystander can give Hands-Only CPR by pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest, 100–120 times a minute. For an average adult, press at least 2 inches deep and allow the chest to return between pushes. Use an AED as soon as one is available and follow its prompts. Hands-Only CPR guidance is for sudden adult or teen collapse; children, infants, drowning, and other situations can require rescue breaths.

References: AHA: What Is CPR? · AHA: Cardiac Arrest Emergency Treatment

Call 911 and begin CPR if the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally. Ask another person to bring an AED if available. Turn it on and follow its voice and visual instructions; continue CPR and follow the prompts until the person responds or emergency personnel take over.

Reference: American Heart Association: Cardiac Arrest Emergency Treatment

If the person can cough forcefully, encourage coughing and monitor them. If an adult or child cannot cough, speak, or breathe effectively, have someone call 911. Give five back blows, then five abdominal thrusts; continue alternating. If the person becomes unresponsive, carefully lower them to a firm, flat surface and begin CPR according to your training. Infants under one year require different procedures; use infant-specific training or dispatcher instructions.

Reference: American Red Cross: Adult and Child Choking

Stop the burning process and cool a thermal burn with clean, cool running water. Remove jewelry or clothing near the burn unless stuck to the skin. Do not apply ice, butter, or home remedies. Call 911 for a life-threatening or serious burn, including serious face or airway burns, extensive burns, or severe electrical or chemical injuries. Follow dispatcher instructions; cooling a large burn needs care to avoid hypothermia.

References: American Red Cross burn guidance · USFA: Burn Prevention, First Aid and Calling 911

Use B.E. F.A.S.T.: sudden balance loss, eye or vision changes, face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, and time to call 911. Call 911 immediately if any warning sign appears, even if it improves or disappears. Note when symptoms began.

Reference: American Stroke Association: Stroke Symptoms

Check scene safety first. Check responsiveness, breathing, and obvious life-threatening conditions. Call 911 for unresponsiveness, abnormal breathing, life-threatening bleeding, or another immediate danger. Provide care within your training and dispatcher instructions, and continue to monitor the person. If you suspect head, neck, or spinal injury, do not unnecessarily move them.

Reference: American Red Cross: First Aid Steps

No. Do not pull out an embedded object. Apply pressure around it, support it with dressings or bandages, and call 911 or seek emergency care as appropriate.

Reference: American Red Cross: Life-Threatening External Bleeding

The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal says battery-only smoke alarms must be replaced with approved units containing nonremovable sealed 10-year batteries, and alarms must be replaced 10 years after manufacture. Hardwired alarms may be required in some circumstances; do not replace a required hardwired alarm with a battery-only unit. Requirements depend on the property and applicable law or code, so ask the State Fire Marshal or local authority about a specific building.

Reference: Maryland OSFM: Get Alarmed Maryland

The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal describes Get Alarmed Maryland as offering one free smoke alarm and one free CO alarm to qualifying residences that do not already have them. Eligibility and availability are determined by the State program.

Reference: Maryland OSFM: Get Alarmed Maryland

Do not remove the battery or disable the alarm. If you have confirmed there is no fire and cooking smoke or steam caused it, open a window or door and use the hush button if available. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for persistent nuisance alarms. If you cannot confirm it is harmless, evacuate and call 911 from outside.

Reference: USFA: Smoke Alarms

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that cannot be seen or smelled. Fuel-burning appliances and equipment can produce it. Install and maintain CO alarms as directed by the manufacturer and applicable local requirements; CDC recommends alarms and routine testing. Ask the local authority about requirements for a specific property.

References: CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics · Maryland OSFM

Leave the building immediately and move outside to fresh air. Call 911 from outside. Do not stay inside to investigate or ignore the alarm. Seek medical help if anyone may have symptoms or exposure.

Reference: CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics

No. Never operate a portable generator in a home, garage, basement, or other enclosed or partially enclosed space, even with doors or windows open. Carbon monoxide can build up and cause fatal poisoning. Operate generators outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents, and direct exhaust away from buildings. Use working carbon monoxide alarms.

References: CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics · CDC: Generator Safety

The County’s August 4, 2010 release said single-family-home yard waste was outside the specific land-clearing-debris restriction described in that release. It does not establish today’s permit rules or permission to burn. Before burning, check current requirements with St. Mary’s County Environmental Health at 301-475-4321 and MDE. Do not treat the 2010 release as current law.

References: St. Mary’s County Health Department · MDE Open Burning Facts

Maryland Forest Service rules apply to burning in woodland, within 200 feet of woodland, or near flammable material that could carry fire to woodland. To burn in the open under these rules, all of the following must be met: a natural or constructed firebreak at least 10 feet wide surrounds the material and is free of flammable material; adequate personnel and equipment are on hand to keep the fire from escaping; at least one responsible person stays with the fire until the last spark is out; and burning is done only between 4 p.m. and midnight (any time of day if the ground is snow-covered). A Maryland DNR Forest Service Open Air Burning permit is required for this kind of burning; contact your local Forest Service office to obtain one. During prolonged or unusual conditions that make wildfire easy to start and spread, the Forest Service Director may ban all open-air burning statewide or in a specific area. These rules do not apply inside the limits of incorporated towns or to small recreational fires such as campfires, but other state or local requirements may still apply.

Reference: Maryland Forest Service: Open Air Burning

If you’re burning in woodland, within 200 feet of woodland, or near flammable material that could carry fire into woodland, yes - Maryland DNR Forest Service requires an Open Air Burning permit, obtained through your local Forest Service office, before you can burn, in addition to meeting its firebreak, staffing, and timing requirements. Outside that jurisdiction, other Maryland environmental rules (such as MDE’s solid-waste burning rules) and local requirements can still apply, and a permit issued under one rule does not waive requirements under another. Confirm the exact activity and location with the relevant agency before burning.

References: Maryland Forest Service: Open Air Burning · MDE: Regulation of Open Burning of Solid Waste

The Health Department’s forms page lists an Application for Burning Permit, but the linked form is specifically for open burning to instruct firefighters. It is not a general residential permit application. The County’s 2010 release also said permits for land-clearing debris would end after December 31, 2010. A current residential burning decision guide was not located online. Ask Environmental Health which requirements apply to the proposed material and location before burning.

References: St. Mary’s County Health Department: Permits & Records · Environmental Health: 301-475-4321

No. MDE explains that an open-burning permit cannot authorize activity that violates other applicable fire-control or environmental requirements. Solid-waste, air-quality, forest-fire, and local rules may all apply.

Reference: MDE: Regulation of Open Burning of Solid Waste

MDE strongly discourages open burning of household or commercial refuse because of pollution and health concerns. MDE describes narrow regulatory circumstances in which certain household refuse burning may be allowed, subject to conditions such as lack of public refuse collection, smoke limits, and separation from neighboring occupied places. Do not assume the exception applies; use approved disposal or recycling and confirm with MDE.

Reference: MDE: Regulation of Open Burning of Solid Waste

Maryland Forest Service rules exclude small recreational fires such as campfires from that particular woodland-burning rule. That exclusion does not waive other state or local requirements or temporary burn bans. Check current restrictions and local rules before lighting a fire.

References: Maryland Forest Service burning guidance · MDE open-burning guidance

For a smoke, odor, open-burning, or air-pollution concern, contact MDE Air Quality Compliance at 410-537-3215 or mdeair.complaints@maryland.gov. St. Mary’s County’s Citizen Inquiry Form includes an illegal-burning category for possible zoning concerns. For an active, uncontrolled, or threatening fire, call 911.

References: MDE air-pollution complaints · County Citizen Inquiry Form

Maryland Forest Service points residents to its Firewise Maryland program for defensible-space and home-hardening guidance, and can issue an open-air burning ban statewide or in a specific area during prolonged or unusual conditions that make wildfire easy to start and spread - always check for an active ban before burning anything outdoors. For specific clearance distances and defensible-space steps for your property, use the Firewise Maryland resources or contact your local Forest Service office.

Reference: Maryland Forest Service: Open Air Burning

If a small pan fire starts and it is safe to act, carefully slide a metal lid or baking sheet over the pan, turn off the burner, and leave the lid in place until the pan is cool. Do not use water and do not carry the pan. If the fire spreads or you are unsure it is safe, evacuate and call 911 from outside.

Reference: USFA cooking-fire safety

Stay in the kitchen when frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling; turn the burner off if you leave. Keep combustibles away from the cooking area, turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and keep a fitting lid nearby for a small pan fire.

Reference: USFA cooking-fire safety

Place it on a solid, level surface and keep anything that can burn at least three feet away. Turn it off when leaving the room or going to bed. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and inspect the heater and cord for damage; use only the power connection the manufacturer specifies.

Reference: USFA: Heating Fire Safety

Stop using a battery if it has unusual heat, swelling or shape change, leakage, an unusual odor, or abnormal noises. Do not put lithium-ion batteries in household trash; use an appropriate battery recycling location. Follow the product manufacturer’s charging instructions.

Reference: USFA: Battery Fire Safety

Get everyone away from the fire and call 911. Do not approach or handle a smoking or burning battery. USFA notes that lithium-ion battery fires can reignite; leave response to emergency personnel.

Reference: USFA: Lithium-ion Battery Fire Risks and Response

No. Do not walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. Turn around and choose another route. Ready.gov says six inches of moving water can knock a person down and one foot can sweep a vehicle away. Do not drive around barricades or cross bridges over fast-moving water.

Reference: Ready.gov: Floods

Assume every downed line is energized. Stay far away from the wire and anything touching it; do not touch or move it or drive over it. Keep others away and call 911 if it presents an immediate danger. In SMECO territory, report the line to SMECO at 888-440-3311. If a line contacts your vehicle, remain inside unless another immediate danger forces you out.

Reference: SMECO: Power Restoration Policy

Stay clear and treat it as energized. Call SMECO’s downed-line number, 888-440-3311. Call 911 if there is immediate danger to people, property, or traffic.

Reference: SMECO: Power Restoration Policy

Pull over safely, turn off the engine, and get everyone out. Do not return for belongings, open the hood or trunk, or try to fight the fire. Move at least 100 feet away and well away from traffic, then call 911.

Reference: USFA: Vehicle Fire Safety

Get everyone out of the building or area. Do not operate switches, appliances, or phones in the suspected area; avoid flames, smoking, and sparks. Once away, call 911 or your propane supplier. Stay away until responders, the supplier, or a qualified professional says it is safe to return. Follow the supplier’s instructions about shutting off a valve; do so only if safe.

Reference: Propane Education & Research Council: Safety Guide for Propane Users

St. Mary’s County asks callers to provide the emergency location, the phone number they are calling from, and their name. Stay calm, speak clearly, answer questions, follow instructions, and remain on the line until the dispatcher tells you to hang up.

Reference: St. Mary’s County: 9-1-1

St. Mary’s County says dispatchers call back to check for an emergency; if no one answers, law enforcement may be sent to investigate. If you dial by mistake, stay on the line and explain what happened rather than hanging up.

Reference: St. Mary’s County: 9-1-1

Use BDVFD’s General Inquiry Form for a non-emergency question or comment. Do not use it to report an emergency; call 911.

Reference: BDVFD General Inquiry Form

BDVFD describes Knox-Box as a secure key/access system for participating properties. Its published instructions say to contact BDVFD for the appropriate authorization/order form, obtain an authorized department signature, complete the form, and order the approved device. Confirm current models, authorization, pricing, contact numbers, and installation instructions directly with BDVFD.

Reference: BDVFD: Knox-Box Information and Ordering

BDVFD publishes a Building Pre-Plan Information Form for businesses. It collects building and fire-protection information for pre-incident planning. Businesses with multiple buildings should confirm with BDVFD whether a separate form is needed for each structure.

Reference: BDVFD Building Pre-Plan Information Form

Maryland’s Office of the State Fire Marshal performs inspections for fire and life-safety systems and enforces the State Fire Prevention Code. Its current instructions direct property owners to contact the fire marshal’s office for the jurisdiction where the property is located. Confirm the correct office for a specific building or inspection.

Reference: Maryland OSFM: Fire Safety Inspections

The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal has statewide responsibility to investigate the origin and cause of fires and explosions. A first-responding fire or police department may request an investigation. A private citizen or property owner may request one through the local police department or 911 center.

Reference: Maryland OSFM: Fire and Arson Investigations