Year after deadly fire, City Council eyes limits on smoke alarms
One year to the day after a downtown fire left one young man dead and three others in the hospital, members of the City Council introduced an ordinance to help prevent a fire like that from ever happening again.
Sponsor Ald. Mike Verveer said the motivation to work with the fire department on the ordinance, which tightens restrictions on smoke alarms in city housing, came in particular after seeing the wreckage of the house at 123 N. Bedford St. Peter Talen, 23, a UW-La Crosse student in town visiting his brother on Nov. 18, 2007, died in a fire that spread from the porch throughout the nearly 100-year-old house.
"I'm going to remember the date, November 18, for a very long time," Verveer said. "One of the things that shocked me the most was when the fire inspectors asked me if I wanted to tour the residence that day, and I did so, and they showed me how the smoke alarms in the house were laying on top of the refrigerator with no batteries in them."
Under the proposed ordinance, landlords would have until Aug. 15, 2009, to put smoke alarms in all bedrooms and on every floor of a unit. They would also need to replace alarms powered by 9-volt batteries with those that have a non-removable, lithium-ion battery or those that are connected to the building's power supply. Rules for homeowners would be slightly more lax, with 9-volt battery-operated smoke alarms permitted if they were manufactured in the last 10 years.
While the changes would likely cost landlords some money, Verveer said Assistant Fire Chief Ed Ruckriegel worked with the Madison Landlord Council and Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin to ensure that the ordinance would be workable. On average, he said, the new smoke alarms cost $17 in stores, which is slightly more than 9-volt smoke alarms not including the cost of battery replacement. Factoring that in, as well as the potential for volume discounts, Verveer said the monetary impact should be small.
"This is such an important safety measure that I'm convinced will save lives and potential injuries," Verveer said. "It's just going to be hard for anyone in the apartment industry to argue that you can put a price on a life."
Talks with apartment industry groups also set up guidelines for tenant and landlord responsibilities to prevent the "miscommunication" that can put lives at risk as well as cause "horrific" property damage, Verveer said. While landlords would be responsible for replacing the smoke alarms and notifying tenants of the new rules, tenants cannot tamper with the alarms and have to alert landlords to any issues.
The ordinance would be enforced through routine and tenant-requested fire and building inspections, Verveer said, and would not involve additional inspections.
The family of Peter Talen as well as two others who were in the house on the night of the fire came to the City Council meeting Tuesday night in support of the ordinance. Their strong support, Verveer said, will also help push the ordinance through city committees and the City Council, with three council members joining the original sponsors -- Verveer, Brenda Konkel and Paul Skidmore -- after the meeting.
"It is a technology we have, and I believe it's something that's very preventable to happen in the future," said Andy Talen, Peter's brother who was also injured in the fire. "If it even saves a couple of lives, I think it is worth your vote on this ordinance, so I ask for your support from my heart."
If the ordinance is passed, Verveer said, the ordinance would be named in honor of Peter Talen, a rare memorial tribute in the city's laws.
File photo
A fire at this house on Nov. 18, 2007, killed Peter Talen. A year later, the city wants to tighten rules on smoke alarms to prevent a similar tragedy.
