City Council To Debate Bill Requiring Longer-Lasting Smoke Detector Batteries
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - City Council this spring will debate whether Philadelphia should require that battery-operated smoke detectors use batteries that last ten years.
"Eighty-two percent of the fatalities last year were due to the fact that there was no smoke detector or an inoperable smoke detector, usually due to battery life loss," says City Councilman Curtis Jones, who has introduced a bill that would require one or two-family homes to use 10-year, non-removable sealed batteries.
"We're not suggesting any particular vendor, but we are suggesting that they last longer than one year."
KYW Newsradio asked Jones if Council has the power to mandate a type of battery.
"We don't know, that's why we have hearings. We're going to look at the intended and unintended consequences of what we do."
No date yet for a hearing on the proposal. It would obviously not apply to smoke detectors that are hardwired to the home's AC power.
