HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	147
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

SUPPORTING THE INSTALLATION AND USE OF SMOKE DETECTORS IN EVERY HAWAII HOME BY 2010.

     WHEREAS, fire safety in the State and the safety of its citizens are of great concern to every legislator, public servant, and first responder; and

     WHEREAS, after prevention, smoke detectors are the first line of defense against fire and can cut nearly in half the risk of death in a house fire; and

     WHEREAS, in recent years, approximately three-fifths of house fire deaths occurred in homes without smoke detectors; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2006, a total of 2,580 people died in 412,500 house fires in the United States that resulted in more than $11,000,000,000 in property damage; and

     WHEREAS, the Honolulu Fire Department, the sixteenth largest fire department in the nation, responds to over 10,000 fires annually; and

     WHEREAS, with a house fire occurring in this country every eighty-six seconds, the diligence, determination, and devotion of Hawaii's firefighters can be supported by the installation of a smoke detector in every Hawaii home; and

     WHEREAS, inexpensive household smoke detectors can mean the difference between life and death by sounding an early warning in the event of a fire and alerting people before they are overcome by smoke and other poisonous gases; and

     WHEREAS, most low-income families in Hawaii cannot afford home smoke detectors; and

     WHEREAS, low-income families are defined as families qualifying for the State's general assistance program or the federal Aid to Families with Dependent Children program; and

     WHEREAS, low-income families in Hawaii deserve the protection that smoke detectors can provide; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's senior citizens are also a vulnerable population when it comes to house fires, and sometimes need assistance with installing or maintaining a smoke detector; and

     WHEREAS, in states that observe daylight savings time, the day used to convert to daylight savings time is also used to check smoke detector batteries and ensure the safe operation of smoke detectors; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature supports the installation and use of smoke detectors in every Hawaii home by 2010; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that fire departments throughout Hawaii are urged to designate April 15 as the day to remind Hawaii's residents to check the batteries in their smoke detectors and to make sure they operate effectively; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Fire Chiefs Association and Hawaii State Fire Council are requested to provide free smoke detectors to low-income families and senior citizens if funds become available; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that local fire departments are requested to consider implementation of a program to provide free smoke detectors in exchange for a fire safety inspection of low-income family homes; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is requested to consider installing smoke detectors in all existing public housing projects in Hawaii and requiring a working smoke detector as a requirement of residency; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that local fire departments and the Hawaii State Fire Council make every effort to develop an outreach program with senior citizen-focused organizations to educate people about the need for our senior citizens to be safeguarded with a smoke detector properly installed and maintained in their home; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's fire departments and senior citizen advocate groups and organizations are urged to designate a day during Fire Prevention Week, which occurs ever October, as "Fire Safe Senior Day," for the purpose of educating seniors about the need for these life-saving devices; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of each county, to the Chairperson of each county council, to the fire chiefs of each county, the Chairperson of the State Fire Council, the President of the Hawaii Fire Chiefs Association, Chairperson of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Director of the Executive Office on Aging, and President of the American Association of Retired Persons for Hawaii.

Report Title: 

Smoke Detectors for Low-income Families in Hawaii