Proposed Florida building codes may help prevent kitchen and laundry fires in the coming years.
The Florida Building Commission voted in favor of the proposed 2018 Florida Building Code at a meeting at the Hilton UF Conference Center on Monday. The new codes, if accepted, would require fire prevention equipment to be placed in all kitchens and laundry rooms built after Jan. 1, 2018.
Under the proposal, new buildings would need to have arc fault circuit interrupters, which detect arcing in wires and shut down electrical systems before a fire happens, said Bryan Holland, the southern regional field representative for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
The commission discussed an amendment from the Florida Home Builders Association to take kitchens and laundry facilities out of the code.
Douglas Buck, the director of governmental affairs for the FHBA, said they submitted the amendment to eliminate the cost of installing the technology in new homes, which could reach up to $200.
“There’s always a balance between cost of the house and what the new requirement does,” he said.
The amendment also outlined concerns over the technology shutting off appliances, including refrigerators.
Holland said 29 states — including Georgia, South Carolina and Texas — have adopted the proposed changes, and electrical companies have an obligation to protect consumers.
“The state of Florida is a little bit behind,” he said.
At the meeting, Florida firefighters and burn survivors defended the new code.
Rebekah Johnson was a 27-year-old taking time off from Santa Fe Community College in 2002 when an outlet sparked, causing her house to catch fire.
She and her bed caught fire as she slept, Johnson said.
Johnson said she instinctively ran outside and dropped to the ground to extinguish the fire. She then went back to search for her 6-year-old golden retriever, Wendy, and her two cats, Simpson and Sammy, none of whom survived.
The house burned down, and Johnson sustained second-degree burns on her face and neck, she said. About 50 percent of her body had third-degree burns.
She then underwent a dozen skin grafts.
Now, at the age of 40, Johnson stood in front of the Florida Building Commission to uphold the safety proposals.
She said the threat of a refrigerator losing power under the new technology is a small risk compared to the devastating effects of a fire.
“I let them know that I would have gladly have thrown away a gallon of milk to not have to have gone through my injuries,” she said.
While the commission voted to keep kitchens and laundry rooms in the changes, it could be challenged in future months, Holland said.
“We’re gonna have to keep an eye on it,” he said.
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