Amanda's Law Now in Effect and Can Save Lives!

Amanda’s Law — mandating the installation of carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in all homes in New York State — took effect on February 22 of this year. The law is named for 16-year-old Amanda Hansen of West Seneca, New York who died on January 17, 2009 due to a carbon monoxide leak from a defective boiler while she was sleeping at a friend’s house. Under the law, homes built before January 1, 2008 are permitted to have battery-powered CO alarms, while homes
built after that date are required to have the alarms hard-wired into the building. The law requires contractors in New York State to install a CO alarm when replacing a hot water tank or furnace if the home is not equipped with an alarm. Additionally, the law mandates that existing one- and two-family
residences have at least one carbon monoxide alarm installed on the lowest floor of the building having a sleeping area. The alarm must be clearly audible in all sleeping areas over background noise levels with all intervening doors closed. According to the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control OFPC), fire departments in New York responded to more than 42,000 calls involving carbon monoxide in 2007, the most recent year with complete data. A majority of these calls came in at night and during the winter months. Carbon monoxide can kill in minutes or hours depending on the levels in the air.

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