On the recordJuly 26, 2022
I thank Representative Dean for introducing H.R. 7981, the Public and Federally Assisted Housing Fire Safety Act of 2022, in response to the devastating apartment fire that occurred in a Philadelphia public housing unit, where 12 people died, including 9 children. The subsequent investigation into this tragedy, found that the majority of the smoke alarms in the home were inoperable, as they had either been removed from the walls or had no batteries inside. With proper fire safety tools in place, these deaths could have been prevented. A 2021 study from the National Fire Protection Agency found that nearly three out of five home fire deaths are caused by fires in properties with no smoke alarms present, or smoke alarms that failed to operate. Functional smoke alarms can reduce the number of home fire deaths. To help prevent similar tragedies like the one in Philadelphia from occurring, H.R. 7981 would require the installation of either tamper- resistant or hardwired smoke alarms in federally assisted housing, better ensuring families have adequate warning when a fire occurs. Additionally, this bill will help ensure families across America better understand and properly use fire safety features in their homes through a national education campaign led by HUD. I commend Representative Dean for her work on this very important issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
