Home Housing & Development After Commack Family’s Tragedy, Rep. Israel Announces Legislation to Boost Fire-Safety Transparency...

After Commack Family’s Tragedy, Rep. Israel Announces Legislation to Boost Fire-Safety Transparency in College Campus Housing

Rep. Israel joined by Fitzsimons Family who lost their daughter to a house fire at Marist College

Commack, NY – January 21, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) announced he’ll be introducing federal legislation, the Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act, to require improved notifications of fire-safety systems for students and their families as they pick campus-affiliated housing at colleges and universities across the country. He was joined by the Fitzsimons Family of Commack who lost their daughter, Kerry Rose, to a fire in the house she lived in at Marist College in 2012.

Rep. Israel said, “It is simply common-sense for colleges to be required to notify students of the type of fire-safety systems that campus housing is equipped with. We have lost too many to fires that could have been prevented, and that’s why I’m introducing legislation to improve these critical notifications. I commend the Fitzsimons family for turning to action in the face of tragedy and bringing attention to an issue that will save lives.”

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Bobby Fitzsimons, father of Kerry Rose, said, “My wife and I are thrilled that this issue is going to get national recognition, and it is a long time coming. College kids across America live in dangerous conditions, and it’s about time that something happen to change this. The more knowledge people have available, the more equipped they are to make a better decision”

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New York State Assemblyman Michael DenDekker, who led the state bill said, “Two years ago the importance of college dormitory fire safety was again brought to the forefront here in this community. That tragedy, led to New York State enacting the Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act, which requires all colleges and universities in New York State to notify students if their college owned housing or dormitory is equipped with a fire sprinkler or fire suppression system. I am very proud and honored that US Congressman Steve Israel will continue the Kerry Rose Fitzsimons legacy on a national level, so young men and women attending colleges and universities around the country will be better informed as to their personal safety.”

Commack Fire Department Commissioner Patrick Fazio said, “The Commack Fire Department is a strong advocate for fire prevention safety. We support congressman Israel and the family of Kerry Rose Fitzsiomons. We know the Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act will save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.”

Ed Comeau, publisher of Campus Firewatch, a social enterprise that focuses on national campus fire safety issues, is an advocate for legislation, publishes a newsletter and coordinates the annual National Campus Fire Safety Month campaign, said, “The Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act will be instrumental in helping parents and students make an informed decision when choosing a residence hall. As the father of two college students, I sleep better at night, knowing that they are both living in fully-sprinklered dorms. I thank Congressman Israel and his colleagues for taking this initiative to help other parents across the nation.”

Pat Dolan, President of Steamfitters Local 638, said, “The Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act will require colleges to notify students about fire safety systems and will encourage dialogue about fire safety at schools. This bill would gives parents and students the proper information and tools so they can make the safest and most informed decision when choosing college housing. The stats are clear: fire sprinklers have a near 100% success rate in preventing fire deaths. The Kerry Rose law serves as a building block as we work towards better fire safety and more fire suppression systems in college housing.”

The Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act would require colleges and universities to include a description of the fire safety system wherever housing amenities are presented (including electronic materials), notify students during the housing facility selection process of the fire safety system in each facility and notify students on the day of move-in of the housing facility’s fire safety system.

Additionally, the bill would require the Department of Education to aggregate data on the number and percentage of campus beds without fire sprinklers as reported by each institution’s submission of an Annual Fire Safety Report.

In July 2013, Gov. Cuomo signed into New York State law the Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act, which would require colleges in New York to provide written information on fire safety and sprinkler systems to students residing in campus housing. The bill was sponsored by State Assemblyman Michael DenDekker.

Fire Sprinklers have been proven to dramatically reduce the cost and impact of fires on neighborhoods and local communities. The National Fire Protection Association concluded in a study that the death rate per fire could be reduced by at least 80 percent, and property damages reduced by up to 68 percent if fire sprinklers are present. This significant reduction is due to the fact that sprinklers are able to contain a fire at the location of origin almost 90 percent of the time.