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Pepco Donates Smoke Alarms and Honors Local Fire Captain in Recognition of National Fire Prevention Month

October is National Fire Prevention Month, and Pepco recognized this important observance by donating 3,000 smoke alarms to local communities through our partners at the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services. This is our fourteenth year donating these life-saving devices.

“Safety is a core value of Pepco, and the safety of our customers and the communities where we live and serve are our top priority,” said Donna Cooper, Pepco region president. “Smoke alarms are a ‘must’ in all homes and education on their installation and operations is critical. Our donation to our local emergency services partners through our Emergency Services Partnership Program helps us collaboratively make a difference in the lives of those that we both serve and deliver on our commitment to our communities.”

We also took time to remember retired Fire Captain Jim Seavey, a former member of the District of Columbia Fire and EMS department (DCFEMS) who was instrumental in making this program a success. He was one of the first members of DCFEMS to assist our teams with identifying the need for the smoke alarm donations and determining where those donations should be distributed throughout the region. Captain Seavey lost a four-year battle with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in September.

“This program would not exist without the hard work and dedication of our first responders like Captain Jim Seavey,” said Pete Pedersen, manager of Pepco Emergency Preparedness. “Jim was a tireless public servant who not only worked for the District, but also served with the as Volunteer Fire Chiefs in Maryland and was a board member with the International Association of Fire Chiefs organizations, and most importantly was a great friend with an enormous heart. In the years to come all of the donations of these smoke detectors will be made in Jim’s honor.”

Since 2004, we have worked with local emergency service providers to donate more than 40,000 smoke alarms to communities across Maryland and the District of Columbia. We maintain a close partnership with these local fire departments and other first responders who work alongside our employees during storms and other emergencies. In addition to the annual smoke alarm donation, our Emergency Services Partnership Program provides and coordinates trainings, shares best practices, reviews joint operations procedures, and sponsors other charitable giving and volunteer activities with area emergency response teams throughout the year.