Representative Stanley Testifies at Hearing on Public Safety Bill

(Boston, MA) – At a legislative hearing before the Joint Committee on Public Safety Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Rep. Stanley joined the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) and Rep. Jim Hawkins in requesting legislation he filed (House Bill 2134) be favorably reported by the Committee. This important bill would establish a nine-member special commission to investigate the use of manufactured wood products and light weight wood frame truss assemblies in relation to the inordinate number of firefighter deaths and injuries associated with this construction type.

The Commission would also be tasked with studying the impact these type of building have on fire insurance rates and investigating what steps can be taken to mitigate any problems associated with these products. Under the bill, the Commission would be made up of three members of the Senate, three members of the House of Representatives, a designee from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, and rounded out with representatives from the Massachusetts Fire Chiefs Association and the Professional Firefighters Association.

“A commission of this nature would allow for a thorough and credible investigation of manufactured wood products and light weight wood frame truss assemblies. The hard-working firefighters of the Commonwealth are putting their lives on the line to keep the public safe. We owe it to them to investigate this matter to the fullest extent possible,” said Rep. Stanley.

In 2009, a change was made to the State Building Code allowing wood-frame construction in buildings up to five stories. Since then, projects using wood-frame construction have popped up across the state as developers seek to take advantage of the lower costs these materials provide. However, wood-frame construction is highly vulnerable to fast-moving flames during construction, before fire suppression systems (i.e. sprinklers) have been installed. In fact, many of these projects are constructed with engineered wood and manufactured wood products, which burn even faster than traditional wood and cause supporting materials to collapse quickly.

A number of recent, high-profile fires involving wood-frame construction in Massachusetts, including one on Cooper and Elm Streets in Waltham, have raised significant concerns regarding the safety of this construction practice. On Sunday, July 23rd 2017, a 10-alarm fire broke out in an unoccupied 260-unit apartment complex located in downtown Waltham, MA. The wood-frame construction allowed the flames to spread so quickly that the Waltham Fire Department had virtually no time to control the spread of flames. Hundreds of seniors had to be evacuated from nearby residential buildings. “I never thought I would find myself helping the Red Cross to comfort frightened seniors and navigate logistics in our city,” said Rep. Stanley.

It took firefighters from a dozen communities over four hours to get the fire under control and several days to completely extinguish the flames. Overall, the fire caused an estimated $110 million in damages. Waltham was very lucky that there were no fatalities or serious injuries among firefighters, first responders, and members of the public.

“While the Waltham development did not feature the use of manufactured wood products or light weight wood frame truss assemblies, inclusion of these materials could have significantly exacerbated the already dreadful conditions of the fire,” said Rep. Stanley. “As more and more developers pursue these types of projects, we need a broader understanding on how they impact firefighter safety and public safety.”

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