posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 10:41 AM
by
klehan
Ocean City, MD, Amends CO Ordinance
The Ocean City, MD, Town Council voted to amend its existing carbon monoxide law, removing an exemption that allowed some rooms to not have detectors.
Some rooms in structures holding fuel-burning appliances, such as water heaters, are built to be air-tight. The law had stated any rooms adjacent to such air-tight spaces could be exempt from having a carbon monoxide detector.
Ocean City Fire Marshal Sam Villani suggested to council members they remove that exemption because, over time, air-tight rooms don't stay that way -- buildings may settle, or renovations can be made, making the walls and ceilings smoke or gas permeable.
Town officials in 2007 passed the law mandating that any multifamily dwellings with fuel-burning appliances install carbon monoxide detectors. The issue rose to prominence after two resort tourists, a father and daughter, died from carbon monoxide poisoning in their hotel room.
A Boardwalk condominium and a hotel were evacuated on separate occasions this summer after carbon monoxide leaks sickened several guests. Neither building had detectors and were fined for the infractions. The hotel, the Americana, was closed for inspection by fire marshals in mid-August and has not reopened.
Villani and his staffers have stepped up enforcement efforts, with plans to comb the resort's 29,000 properties to check for detector compliance.