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COMMENTS ON 10 YEAR SMOKE DETECTORS FROM ARTICLE ON FEBRUARY 11, 2016
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Ken
System wireless smoke are supervised,so if a battery or batteries are remove and IF the system is monitored then you get troubles or loss if supervision.
Russell Horwich
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Ken
See similar laws
Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed Local Law 1111-2013
in late December 2013
As of April 1, 2014 New York City multi-family property owners must install 10-year, sealed battery smoke or combination smoke/CO alarms when replacing outdated, missing or damaged units. Local Law 1111-2013 amends New York City's administrative and building codes. The requirement affects all Class A and Class B residential dwellings, and requires replacement alarms to comply with UL 217 standard. The law states that property owners can be reimbursed by a tenant up to $50 per installation of each 10-year sealed smoke or combination alarms. The tenant has one year from the date of installation to make compensation. The tenant is required to maintain these alarms and replace any that are missing or rendered inoperable during their occupancy.
AURORA, Ill., May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Older New York City residences are about to get a much-needed safety upgrade, as a new law outlining smoke alarm requirements takes effect throughout the city. Among the most affected housing will be older buildings built before 1982 that have not been updated since then, as they are currently exempt from building codes requiring hard-wired alarms in virtually all other housing. While owners of other housing will have to replace any supplemental, battery-operated alarms with sealed, 10-year battery models upon expiration, no hardwired alarms are affected by the law, and do not need to be replaced as a result of this law.
As of August 2015 29 states have enacted statutes regarding carbonmonoxide detectors, and another 11 have promulgated regulations on CO detectors. Alaska requires detectors approved by the state fire marshal be installed in all dwellings. Connecticut requires them in all new construction, as does New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. Florida also requires them in new construction, and in every room with a boiler.
This is an updated post regarding California Senate Bill 183 which was signed into law in 2011.
California Senate Bill 183 was signed into law to regulate the installation of Carbon Monoxide detectors puts into law the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010.Home Buyers and Sellers will also see this new requirement on Transfer Disclosure Statements. In addition to Smoke Alarms and strapped water heaters, sellers will be required to disclose the presence or absence of a working Carbon Monoxide detector starting July 1, 2011.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors: In August, 2009 New York State passed Amanda's Law which is named for a 16-year-old girl who died on January 17, 2009, due to acarbon monoxide leak from a defective boiler while she was sleeping at a friend’s house.
HB
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Ken,
I read your post today and I have a unique perspective on this issue. I spent 8 years at First Alert(now Jarden Safety and Security) including 2 as its senior executive. These laws have been passed in the past in other states and municipalities and they are applicable to only stand-alone non monitored alarms. They are not applicable to home, commercial or institutional system alarms. Since I know work in the system space this law or any of the previous ones only apply to the alarms sold at retail. The issue of people dying in fires due to non-working or unpowered alarms has been a high priority for over 20 years in the Fire Services and rightfully so. The concern is will some consumers and landlords go without any alarm due to the increased costs of these devises therefore leaving less alarms in place vs. more? There is an end of life beep built into the alarms software but that won’t prevent people from taking it down and not replacing it. The only solution is to burden the fire services with inspecting homes and other residential facilities and that becomes cost prohibitive.
The question I have for the states and other municipalities is about all the wireless devices that are being put into homes that are not properly supervised or tied to central stations. Are they going to force retailers to remove smoke alarms from all of these DIY packages? If I was a retailer and had to face that decision for my New York stores and those in other states with similar laws I would not include smoke alarms without (sealed) 10 year batteries in my home automation packages. Oh, and did the law address the new construction issues with hard wired 120 V with battery backup alarms? In the past these have been exempt as well as system alarms that are fully supervised, and monitored.
Sincerely,
Mark Colello
Illinois Alarm Service Inc
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Ken,
Re: 10 year smoke detector batteries - a game changer? February 11, 2016
Perhaps Joe Sacchetti, Operations Manager, Catskill Branch, Commercial Instruments & Alarm Systems, Inc., Catskill, New York, doesn't know the difference between a Smoke Alarm and a Smoke Detector?
I reprinted part of an article written by Harry J. Oster:
"Smoke Alarm or Smoke Detector? 10/29/2008 by Harry J. Oster
"Although they look alike, a smoke alarm is a stand-alone device with a built-in audible sounder, a control component such as a power supply (typically battery or electric with battery backup), and a sensor. A smoke alarm is not connected to a fire alarm control panel, but it may sound several smoke alarms within the building if it is interconnected with other smoke alarms,
On the other hand, a smoke detector typically has only a built-in sensor and is part of a system. This means that to function, the detector also requires an external sounding audible device (such as a horn/strobe unit) and a control component such as a power source, typically found at the fire alarm panel."
Perhaps Joe , and most of the rest of the industry, restudy NFPA 72, and the NYSUFBC and the Residential Building Codes of New York and the Fire Codes of New York to better understand the requirements and differences in/of Household Fire Alarm Systems and Smoke Alarms. And the difference between Smoke Alarm Batteries and Wireless Smoke Detector Batteries that if properly programmed, will report low battery (and other issues) to the U.L. listed Household fire alarm panel.
Joe's statement: What about when a tenant just covers a smoke detector with a plastic bag? Anybody can put a "plastic bag" over a smoke alarm/detector. Anybody can put a "plastic bag" to cover a baby's pillow, even with the warnings on the plastic bags!
Yearly testing of commercial fire alarm system is code (check NFPA 72and your local municipality codes for exact requirements).
Homeowners should read the manufactures' instructions for their installed smoke alarms. And even if they don't, the smoke alarms should have an End-of-Life warning signaling (audible) that they need to be replaced.
Sometimes the "government" has to step in for our own safety, in spite of ourselves! OSHA being one. Automobile inspections being another. As a business person, I would gladly welcome the opportunity to provide my customers with Smoke Alarms and explain the difference between a Smoke Alarm and a Central Station connected U.L. listed Household Fire Alarm panel, fire alarm system, with smoke detectors.
And I would welcome the chance to go back in 10 years and "upgrade" their Smoke Alarms and sell them the newest technology!
Just my independent opinion, being in the industry since 1966, being in the Fire Dept. of the USAF, and teaching many - many alarm technology courses.
Sincerely,
Alan Glasser, Executive Director
METROPOLITAN BURGLAR & FIRE ALARM ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK, INC.
Brooklyn, New York 11204-0054
www.mbfaa.com
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Ken
I wish everyone would get on board (alarm companies and municipalities) to understand the difference between smoke alarms, smoke detectors and smoke sensors.
Legislation in some communities address the wrong device and many alarm companies fail to point out the differences to AHJ's, Another good reason to have all techs and even AHJ's take the NTS fire courses.
John W. Yusza, Jr
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Ken
This is just a fine example, that Cuomo's head is up a dark smelly place on this matter as well as his politics. I'm sure he was convinced by someone that an end user who is stupid in the use of smoke alarms with regular batteries is going to be much less stupid using a smoke alarm with 10 year batteries. In other words .... let's just legislate stupidity away. That ought to be worth a lot of votes from the masses of NY liberals.
The thought for the day is ....... Never underestimate the tenacity of stupid people.
Gene
Reliable Alarm
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