Michigan would only allow smoke detectors with a sealed 10-year battery to be sold by 2022 under a plan being discussed in Lansing.
A Linden lawmaker wants to remove human error from smoke detectors with a new plan to sell only sealed battery models in Michigan by 2020.
Republican State Rep. Mike Mueller testified in support of the plan before a State House committee on Tuesday. He hopes the sealed smoke detectors help save lives because they don't require batteries.
Michigan ranked third-worst in the United States with 139 fire deaths in 2018 and 102 deaths in 2019. Firefighters found that 3 of 5 fire deaths from 2012 to 2016 occurred in homes with no working smoke alarms.
Of the homes with nonworking smoke detectors, 92% did not function because the batteries were missing, disconnection, dead or discharged, Mueller said.
“With my background in public safety, I’ve seen the devastating effects a house fire can have on a family,” said Mueller, a retired sheriff’s deputy. “We need to do everything we can to make sure residents have working smoke alarms in their homes, so they can escape with their lives if a fire occurs.”
House Bill 5407 would require all smoke detectors sold in Michigan by 2022 to have sealed batteries with a 10-year lifespan or be hooked to another power source besides removable batteries.
“The firefighters I worked closely with found that often – especially around the holidays – families would need a battery and take one out of their fire alarm. Then they’d forget to replace it,” Mueller said. “The new, tamper-resistant alarms ensure fire safety remains top priority because no one can remove the batteries.”
While the sealed battery smoke detectors can cost more to purchase, Mueller said homeowners save money with them by not replacing the batteries.
“Since the alarm’s battery does not need to be replaced twice per year, homeowners could save between $40 and $60 in battery replacement costs over the life of the alarm,” he said.
Thirteen other states and several large cities already require sealed battery smoke detectors. The bill remains up for discussion in the House Regulatory Reform Committee.
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