Written by Forrest Wall, CAE, Staff Vice President
and Industry Relations
Second Fire Signage Bill Proposed
You may recall from my October 2015 article that legislation has been proposed in the Michigan House of Representatives which would mandate warning signage for most existing apartment buildings in Michigan. House Bill 4740 proposes that an owner of any commercial, industrial, or residential structure (of 3 units or more) that is of light-frame truss construction (i.e. wood trusses) would be required to mark the structure with a sign warning firefighters of the type of construction. The legislation calls for the Michigan Bureau of Fire Services to enact rules in support of this law, including the specific dimensions and design/color of the signs, the timeframe within which building owners would need to comply, and the location where signage would be affixed (most likely building entrances). Building owners would be responsible for the cost of the signs. In December, a second bill (HB 5121) was introduced in the Michigan House which would amend the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act to require the Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes to enact standards for the installation of these signs in new construction of multifamily residential structures of 3 stories or more as well as commercial and industrial buildings. Again, the cost of the signs would be the responsibility of the property owner. AAM is opposing this legislation on the basis that it will have no impact on firefighter safety, or on how firefighters train for and combat building fires of this type.
Public Housing Smoking Ban Proposed By HUD
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced a proposed rule to make the nation’s public housing properties smoke-free. HUD’s proposed rule would require the more than 3,100 public housing agencies across the country to implement the rule. The proposed prohibition is rooted in the dangers of second-hand smoke, and would extend to all living units, indoor common areas, offices, and outdoor areas within 25 feet of buildings. In his announcement of the proposed rule, HUD Secretary Julian Castro stated that a prohibition would “improve the health of more than 760,000 children and help public housing agencies save $153 million every year in healthcare, repairs and preventable fires.”