Perdue & Parsonsburg Vol. Fire Co. Partner to Distribute Smoke Alarms
PARSONSBURG, Md. – First responders were on hand Saturday morning to deliver and install 100 smoke detectors in rural Wicomico County.
It’s all part of the Parsonsburg Volunteer Fire Company’s (PVFC) efforts to put a stop to fire-related deaths — a serious concern across the state. Last year, Maryland recorded 69 fire-related fatalities, and early estimates indicate approximately 20 lives have already been lost in 2026; and Parsonsburg is no exception.
“Over the past six months, Parsonsburg has experienced two fatal fires where three people have lost their lives,” Ryan Whittington, PVFC spokesperson said. “And we want to make sure that the people in our community understand that working smoke alarms save lives. It can give you the few extra seconds to minutes that you need to escape your home.”
That’s why crews partnered with Perdue Farms to help deliver these smoke detectors across Parsonsburg. The company not only donated 100 smoke detectors to the department, but volunteers with the Perdue AgriBusiness’ Emergency Response Team also joined PVFC crews to distribute the smoke alarms on Mar. 21. A total of 79 homes were visited, and 21 smoke alarms were installed.
“I think, this is a great thing, and Purdue supports our community,” said Glenn Costa, Fire Chief of the Perdue Response Team. “We like our people, we love our community service. And we also want the safety of all our associates and our neighbors.”
In addition to distributing smoke alarms, PVFC crews are taking the time to educate their community to prevent more unnecessary loss.
“Working smoke alarms are essential to your family escaping, and make sure that you take time to explain to your family your family meeting place,” Whittington emphasized. “Once you escape your home, where do you go to know that everyone is out of the home? There are so many families today who have no clue if they escape their house where they’re supposed to go.”
If you’d like to have PVFC check your smoke alarms, or install one free of charge, call the department at 410-742-2408.
