Weller said that while the majority of experiences where the firefighters interact with residents go well, those doing the surveys run into infuriating situations on a daily basis. He said there are some residents who have little concern about fire safety.
"One frustrating thing we see that is very difficult for us to deal with is if we visit someone's house and they say they don't care," Weller said. "Come on people. Wouldn't that frustrate you?"
He said another situation firefighters doing the surveys often see is the poor treatment of free smoke alarms they had given to residents whom were visited in recent years.
"To go back to a property from two summers before and everything has been removed or broken, that makes us very angry," Weller said.
Still, he said there are far more positive experiences in the visitations because it gives firefighters a chance to connect with residents and disprove the perception that they "just sit in the firehouse" waiting for a fire call.
"It shows firefighters do a lot more than just fight fires," he said.
Weller said firefighters will discuss one particular problem at nearly every stop - unattended cooking fires. He said that is the cause of more than 50 percent of the reported fires in the city.
Weller said the firefighters also will be checking that smoke alarms are present on every level of a home, are functional and are less than 10 years old.
He said residents who check their smoke alarms prior to a department visit would be providing "a big help."
Anyone seeking additional information on the surveys may call 301-790-2476.
