Sponsor Testimony on House Bill 304 — Representative Brian Baldridge (House Commerce and Labor Committee)

Summary

Sponsor testimony on House Bill 304 from State Representative Brian Baldridge to the House Commerce and Labor Committee. It states the legislation requires under certain circumstances that existing smoke detectors be replaced with a sealed battery smoke detector, and that the State Fire Marshal shall adopt rules that include the new requirements. The testimony cites a study released by The Hartford that ranked Cleveland 10th in the nation for home fire risk, and says tamper resistant smoke alarms can power an alarm for a minimum of 10 years. Baldridge cites over 32 years as a volunteer and a professional firefighter/paramedic in saying that smoke detectors save lives. The testimony states that over 14 states have passed 10 year smoke alarm laws.

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                                      Sponsor Testimony
                              State Representative Brian Baldridge
                                        House Bill 304



      Chair Stein, Vice-Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan, and members of the
House Commerce and Labor Committee, thank you for the opportunity to stand before you
today to provide sponsor testimony on House Bill 304. This legislation revises current state
statute by requiring under certain circumstances that existing smoke detectors be replaced
with a sealed battery smoke detector, and that the State Fire Marshal shall adopt rules that
include the new requirements. Once enacted this legislation will save multi-family owners
money, and more importantly save lives.
       A recent study released by The Hartford ranking the top 150 U.S. cities with the
highest home fire risk ranked Cleveland 10th in the nation. Ohio has five other cities ranked
on the list – Toledo 12th, Akron 33rd, Cincinnati 56th, Columbus 59th, and Canton 72nd.
Additionally, data from the National Fire Prevention Association shows that three of every
five fire deaths occur in residences with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
From 2009 to 2013 smoke alarms sounded in over 53% of home fires reported to U.S. fire
departments, no smoke alarms were present in 38% of residential fire deaths, and 21% of
the residential fire deaths, smoke alarms were present but did not sound. Power source
issues are the leading reasons why alarms fail to operate with nearly 70% of alarms failing
to sound due to batteries that were missing, disconnected or discharged. We need to act to
save lives.
      As both a volunteer and a professional firefighter/paramedic for over 32 years, I have
seen firsthand that smoke detectors save lives. Unfortunately, I have also seen firsthand the
consequences of when a detector is improperly maintained, tampered with, or removed.
Too many times after a fire I have looked up and seen an open detector with no battery, and
sometimes there are no injuries or deaths, but sometimes there are. This bill is about safety,
and putting a stop to preventable tragedies. Additionally, this bill brings Ohio up to date
with the latest smoke detection technology, which removes the semi-annual need to replace
a battery, which is all too often forgotten or disregarded. This bill also removes the
temptation of someone removing the battery and placing it in a TV remote or other device.
       Current advancements in technology have led to the creation of these smoke alarms
that prevent tampering, and can power an alarm for a minimum of 10 years. These 10-year,
tamper resistant smoke alarms directly address the disablement and failed operation by
consumers, and do so in a cost efficient way. The average cost of a 10 year, temper resistant
alarm costs roughly $5 more than a traditional battery operated alarm, however since the
battery does not need to be replaced twice a year, consumers can save between $40-$60 in
battery replacement costs over the life of the alarm. House Bill 304 is cost-effective,
efficient, and potentially live saving.
       House Bill 304 stipulates that existing smoke detectors that do not receive power
primarily from their building’s wiring, and that are permitted in occupancies to meet the
state fire code requirements shall be replaced with seal battery smoke detectors when any
of the following occurs:
   1. Ten years passes after a smoke detector’s date of manufacture, or when a smoke
      detector malfunctions or fails to respond to function tests.
   2. Ownership of owner-occupied residential premises changes, and sealed battery
      smoke detectors that are within ten years of their date of manufacture are not already
      installed.
   3. A new tenant takes possession of a new rental pursuant to a rental agreement, and
      sealed battery smoke detectors that are within ten years of their date of manufacture
      are not already installed
   4. Alterations or repairs requiring plan approval are made, and smoke detectors that
      receive power primarily from the building’s wiring are not required as a result of
      those alterations or repairs.
      Over 14 states have passed 10 year smoke alarm laws, and over a dozen cities,
including Columbus and Cleveland. States that have passed such laws have seen dramatic
decreases in home fire fatalities in the immediate years after their laws took effect. The
National Association of State Fire Marshalls, National Fire Prevention Association, the Red
Cross, and several other fire and life safety organizations all recommend the use of these
alarms. Let’s make the best decision for the safety of our constituents, because smoke
detectors do save lives.
      Chair Stein, Vice-Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan, and members of the
House Commerce and Labor Committee, thank you for the opportunity to stand before you
today and I would be happy to answer any questions.


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