POTOMAC HEIGHTS, Md. — Potomac Heights firefighters responded to multiple calls during a series of severe storms on Sunday, with one emergency occurring at their own firehouse.
Between flood-related calls, firefighters from the Potomac Heights Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Company 7, were preparing dinner at the station. They were then called out to another storm-related emergency, and while away, a fire ignited in the firehouse kitchen. Upon returning to the firehouse, Battalion 20 requested a working fire dispatch. Additional firefighters arrived soon thereafter and made entry, locating a stove on fire. The fire was contained within 10 minutes, with no extensions located, according to Southern Maryland News.
Fire Chief Michael Gimmel Jr. highlighted the role of the station’s fire sprinkler system in successfully containing the fire to the cabinets and immediate area of origin: “Our members constantly put themselves in harm’s way to serve the community. I’m incredibly thankful that our safety systems worked flawlessly to keep them safe at home.”
A fire department press release shared on Facebook stated that the Potomac Heights station, originally built in 1975 and renovated in the 1990s to meet updated life safety codes, is fully equipped with smoke alarms and an automatic fire sprinkler system.
FireRescue1 Senior Advisor Chief Marc Bashoor echoed the department’s sentiment that this incident serves as a powerful reminder of the critical role that fire protection systems play in safeguarding both property and lives.
“I urge fire chiefs to take steps to protect your department’s assets, not the least of which are the people serving in the firehouses,” Bashoor said. “While firefighters were absolutely needed to finish this up, a properly installed and maintained sprinkler system made the difference in this incident. I can’t emphasize enough how important the smoke alarms and sprinklers are in helping us all get early notification and to have enough time to get out. In this case, the sprinkler system kept this facility from joining the long list of firehouses burning that I captured in ‘America (Firehouses) Burning’: What are you doing about it?”
Learn more about installing fire sprinklers at fire stations or spreading the word in the community with resources from the National Fire Sprinkler Association.
