For the first time in its 62-year history, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department recorded no fire-related deaths in 2011.

Fairfax County, with a population of over one million residents, has averaged more than seven fire deaths annually from 2000 to 2010, according to a press release from the department.

The department attributes its response time, and community outreach programs to the success.

Firefighters also participate in a semi-annual “Smoke Alarm Initiative” where they canvass neighborhoods checking for working smoke alarms.