Pepco's Emergency Services Partnership Program will deliver 750 smoke alarms to the Prince George's County Fire Department at 11 a.m., Tuesday, May 9, for distribution to residents unable to afford one. The smoke alarm event will formally kick off the utility's partnership with Lowe's home improvement stores and emergency responders in the District of Columbia, Prince George's and Montgomery counties.

"Officials in all three jurisdictions have embraced the concept of promoting electric safety initiatives through the Emergency Services Partnership Program," said Thomas H. Graham, President, Pepco Region. "Our partnership with local jurisdictions was always in place, but this initiative gives it more focus and reinforces Pepco's commitment to coordinate more effectively with emergency services during community and regional emergencies."

"It is a proven fact that working smoke alarms save lives," says Prince George's County Fire Chief Lawrence H. Sedgwick, Jr. "By having at least one working smoke alarm in your home, your chances of surviving a fire increase by 50 percent. The donation of smoke alarms by Pepco allows the Fire/EMS Department to continue our community-based life saving initiative we call 'Prevention before Response'."

Pepco is also providing 750 smoke alarms each to fire departments in the District of Columbia and Montgomery County as part of an overall emergency preparedness effort that focuses on the communities served by the company.

"We are very happy to have Lowe's as a partner in this initiative," Graham says. "The level at which they are providing the alarms enables us to supply them to more of our neighbors who need them."

In addition to the regular smoke alarms, Pepco is also donating 90 special "hearing impaired" smoke alarms. Each jurisdiction will receive 30 of these special smoke alarms for distribution to hearing-impaired residents in their jurisdictions.

"The Smoke Alarms will enable the fire departments to expand the range of their safety services to residents across our service territory," says Pete Pedersen, Coordinator, Pepco Emergency Services Partnership Program. "This is just one more example of how our partnerships with Lowe's and with our region's fire and EMS departments are helping to make our communities safer."

The 11 a.m. event, which is expected to last about 45 minutes, will take place at the Cranford/Graves Fire Services Building (FSB), 6820 Webster Street, Landover, MD 20784 . If the weather is fine, it will take place outside in front of the fire memorial; in case of inclement weather, it will be inside the multi-purpose room.

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Pepco, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), delivers safe, reliable and affordable electric service to more than 745,000 customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.