Roseland Passes Ordinance Requiring Natural Gas Detectors in New Homes or with Change of Residency in Current Homes; First of its Kind in the State

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 2:24pm

Credit: Carolyne Volpe Curley

ROSELAND, NJ - At Tuesday's meeting of the Roseland governing body, an ordinance was passed which will require natural gas detectors to be part of the certificate of occupancy for new construction and for continued occupancy of new rentals or change of ownership in any home. The recommendation was supported unanimously by Public Safety Chair David Jacobs, and Councilmembers Peter Smith and Rich Leonard. 

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During the public comment segment, there was no one who came out against the measure and several persons spoke out in support of the new requirement including Roseland Office of Emergency Management Director John Matheis,  Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator and Roseland Firefighter Roger Freda, Alyce Batta and Affordable Housing Board Chair Bill Tedesco (who showed a receipt for the detector he had just purchased that afternoon). 

"I support this ordinance wholeheartedly because - bottom line - it's going to save lives, and all at a very minimal cost to all involved," Freda commented. "Councilman Rich Leonard's motion to adopt this ordinance
allows Roseland to proactively see to the safety of all of its residents while
at the same time it cuts down on the likelihood of a preventable emergency.
As first responders, we would all rather respond to a gas detector activation then respond to a house that got blown to pieces."

Devin Hinchcliffe, who is a member of both the Roseland Fire Department and Roseland First Aid Squad, was unable to be at the meeting, but a letter from him was read into the record. His comments regarding the safety of the First Responder who is entering a possibly gas-filled residence placed a further dimension on the need for the detectors in homes. 

"As a member of both the Fire Department and First Aid Squad,
it is my belief that this ordinance will prove to be
extremely beneficial to the safety of the residents and
also to the responding agencies in the event of an emergency.
Recently on the First Aid Squad we have begun carrying gas meters on our jumpkits after an incident in Fairfield
where the EMS unit on scene had these meters on their bags,
and they went off detecting a leak.
They were able to evacuate the home and treat the patients,
and the home was not equipped with any detectors.
In February of this year, in Stafford Township,
a home filled up with Natural Gas and eventually ignited, injuring 15 people,
some of which who were firefighters, EMT’s, and gas employees.
If the home had been equipped with natural gas detectors,
the outcome could have been very different.
This ordinance would provide an added safety
to both the residents and first responders." ~ Devin Hinchcliffe

This ordinance appears to be the first of its kind in New Jersey, including in Stafford Township. A quick search online shows a Dual Carbon Monoxide and Natural Gas Detector runs anywhere from $29 to $132. 

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