Amanda Hansen was just 16 years old when she died in her friend's West Seneca home last year. She died from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of a leak from a defective boiler.
Her tragic and accidental death sparked a movement in New York state for the passing of Amanda's Law, which requires all homes to have CO alarms. The alarms must be installed on the lowest floor of the building having a sleeping area, and they must be clearly audible in all sleeping areas, especially over background noise.
Gov. David A. Paterson signed the act into law in August 2009, while the law went into effect on Monday.
This leaves UB Residence Halls and Apartments planning as to how they will comply with the new law.
'Today acts as an important reminder for all New Yorkers to check that their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are installed properly and are in good working order,' Paterson said on Monday. 'Ensuring the safety of New York's families is a responsibility I hold most dear, and this law will do its part to help prevent future tragedies involving carbon monoxide poisoning.'
The law states that homes and residences built before Jan. 1, 2008 can have battery powered CO alarms. Homes built after that date must have alarms hard-wired into them.
This leaves a tricky situation for residence halls: many of the dormitory-style living spaces aren't exactly laid out like normal homes, apartment buildings or hotels. Residence Halls are seeking expert opinions and advice as to how best comply with the new law.
'We're waiting for state clarification as to how we need to react to the new law,' said Don Erb, director of Residential Facilities.
Since officials from the University Residence Halls & Apartments is already aware of what needs to be done, Erb said that CO alarms will be installed in the on-campus apartments. Many apartments, including those in Hadley Village and South Lake Village, already have the alarms and it's just a matter of making all of them comply.
'Because of the way the apartments are heated and laid out we can already work on making all the apartments comply [to Amanda's Law],' Erb said. 'The [dorms] are laid out differently and we're waiting for clarification on what we need to do.'
Complying with the law also raises money questions. With the ongoing SUNY budget cuts residence halls may have to find creative ways to attain the money needed for compliance, but Erb isn't worried.
'As with any renovation, installing these alarms is going to cost money,' Erb said. 'But it's necessary and will be done.'
Erb wants students to know that the residence halls are safe and that they will comply with the new law as soon as possible.
'Students shouldn't be alarmed or concerned. The alarms are an added safety precaution,' Erb said. 'They will be installed as soon as we get state clarification.'
Some students, however, are raising the question as to why it took a passed law to install these alarms into living spaces.
Katie Searing, a freshman undecided major living in Goodyear Hall on South Campus, feels that carbon monoxide is a big threat that UB should have looked into installing alarms in residence halls long ago.
'Carbon monoxide is a silent killer,' Searing said. 'Without having detectors, many students could be unsafe in the dorms.'
E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
