Contact: Rep. Hintz
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Madison – The Wisconsin State Assembly passed Senate Bill 415 with a bipartisan vote of 67 to 29 today. Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) was the lead sponsor for the Carbon Monoxide Detector Bill which requires carbon monoxide detectors to be placed in buildings containing one or two dwelling units. Earlier today this legislation passed the Senate. The next step will be for this bill to go to Governor Doyle to be signed into law.
“I co-authored this legislation with Senator Hansen after it was brought to my attention that there is a gap in our law requiring carbon monoxide detectors in residences in Wisconsin”, said Rep. Hintz. “Every year over 2,000 deaths and more than 40,000 injuries are caused by carbon monoxide in the United States alone, and we in Wisconsin are particularly susceptible given our cold climate”.
Last session, the Legislature passed legislation which required carbon monoxide alarms in all multi-family homes, hotels, bed and breakfast establishments, or any public building that is used for sleeping or lodging purposes. However, 72% of all non-fire carbon monoxide incidents reported to Fire Departments in 2005 occurred in one-or-two family dwellings. This bill expands current law to require CO alarms in all one- and two-family homes and parallels requirements for smoke alarms for ease of installation.
“Passage of this bill will result in prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning and deaths in our State, said Rep. Hintz. “I thank my colleagues for their support of this lifesaving measure.”
Carbon monoxide is known as the “silent killer” since the gas it undetectable by the human senses. At high concentrations in surrounding atmosphere, carbon monoxide can be fatal within minutes. This is illustrated by recent tragic deaths of a family of three in Quebec on December 30th. The family died in their sleep and the cause of death was determined to be carbon monoxide that had built up due to improper ventilation of an emergency generator used during a power outage. The home did not have a carbon monoxide detector.
Currently, twenty-four states already have laws requiring CO alarms in residential properties. This bill is strongly supported by many groups and organizations across the state including:
* Safe Kids Wisconsin
* the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin
* the Wisconsin Builders Association
* the Wisconsin State Fire Chief’s Association
* Wisconsin Realtors Association
This legislation would take effect on February 1, 2011.
