Dear Editor:
The Newark community was rattled once again by a fatal fire on Saturday, October 11. The fire, which occurred on Oakland Terrace, was responsible for the deaths of a mother and grandmother, aged 41 and 65. Four other family members were transported to the hospital for injuries stemming from the fire. This incident took place only ten minutes away from the Madison Avenue Father’s Day fire which claimed the lives of six family members just four months ago. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, New Jersey has lost 57 civilian lives because of fire since January 1, 2014. These figures can not sufficiently express the amount of pain and loss that families experience when a fire strikes where they live.
A residential fire sprinkler system and working smoke alarms can reduce the risk of dying in a residential fire by 82 percent according to the National Fire Protection Association. There is legislation that has passed the NJ Assembly and is being deliberated by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee on Monday, October 27th that would protect all newly constructed homes with fire sprinkler systems. An identical bill was passed by the NJ Senate and Assembly and was pocket-vetoed by Governor Christie just last year. Residential fire sprinkler systems would go a long way towards protecting New Jersey residents and first responders from the horrors of fire and preventing tragedies like those experienced in Newark.
Sincerely,
David Kurasz
Executive Director of the New Jersey Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board