New State Law will Protect First Responders Dealing with Home Fires

Written by Lanning Taliaferro

To provide firefighters and other first responders with essential safety information, property owners must soon notify their local governments whenever a new or renovated house is comprised of a truss type, pre-engineered wood or timber construction.

That’s because while this construction method is safe for normal use, it can also become fragile and collapse with little or no warning when exposed to fire.

“First responders put their lives on the line to protect those around them. It is our responsibility to do everything in our power to ensure that they come home safely, and this law is a crucial way to live up to that charge,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This legislation will help ensure that our firefighters and emergency personal are made aware of potentially dangerous situations before it’s too late.”

While Rockland County hasn’t had a problem with this kind of construction, due to excellent coordination because fire inspectors and building inspectors work well with the county fire chiefs and fire associations, deputy fire coordinator Christopher Kear said he thought it was smart to make it a requirement.

““Property owners more times than not have to get permits from their local building department,” Kear said. “Permits are required whenever substantial work is done on a home or commercial building. When it involves structural work, most definitely. When new buildings, developments, are proposed, fire and building inspectors review the plans submitted. When new or renovated construction consists of this type, the fire inspectors and sometimes building inspectors will notify the local fire departments about it. These fire departments then can add it to their in-house computer dispatch systems.”

Under the law signed this week by the Governor, property owners outside of New York City must indicate on a building permit application if this construction method is being used, in addition to affixing a sign or symbol to an electrical box on the building’s exterior.

After being notified by a homeowner of the presence of this particular construction method, local governments must also inform the relevant first responders, including the local fire department, district or company, the county fire coordinator, local 911 and emergency dispatchers. The law takes effect on January 1, 2015.

Truss type, pre-engineered wood or timber construction is often undetectable without advanced notice, and there have been multiple occasions in recent years where first responders were injured or killed while responding to fires in buildings that utilize this particular construction method and ultimately collapsed.