Detector Mandate Urged
A pre-dawn fire in Arlington County, Va. on April 12 that claimed seven lives has prompted the call for nationwide mandatory smoke detector legislation, announced Gordon Vickery, United States fire administrator.
Figures developed by the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Data Center indicate that while 50 percent of the nation’s homes now have smoke detectors, in residences which have a fire, only 10 percent have detector protection.
While the administration cannot mandate smoke detector legislation, it can provide assistance to states and local communities wishing to take the initiative themselves.
An updated booklet on smoke detector legislation is available from the National Fire Data Center, U.S. Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C. 20472.
