New law warns firefighters of solar panels- Delanco fire problem spurred new law
In battling a 12-alarm blaze at a Delanco warehouse in September, firefighters were hampered by rooftop solar panels.
Crews could not fight flames at the Dietz & Watson distribution center from above; they discovered the roof was practically covered by solar panels. Fire officials also feared the panels posed an electrocution danger. The fire raged for more than a day and destroyed a warehouse brimming with food products.
A new state law now addresses one of the concerns that........Continue on page 2
Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation this week mandating building owners notify local fire officials of roof-mounted panels. Only one and two-family residences are exempt.
The law also requires posting of an emblem on a building’s front entrance to signify the presence of roof top solar panels.
The bill resulted from a study by the New Jersey Fire Commission of emerging solar issues affecting firefighting. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, R- Morris, one of the commission members, and will be implemented by the state Department of Communty Affairs.
Bucco called it “common sense” legislation to protect safety of firefighters and better prepare them to perform dangerous jobs.
The law’s requirements “are benefits to firefighters for sure,” said Steven King, president of the Burlington County Fire Chiefs Association and deputy director of the county emergency management office. He was on scene at the Delanco fire as the management team coordinator.
Legislators also tried to address the threat of electrocution by requiring a “disconnect” switch on a building’s exterior. That provision was dropped Monday on the final day of the two-year legislative session. Christie signed the bill Tuesday.
Sen. Donald Norcross, D-Camden, said the disconnect provision was removed via amendment because it did not address the electrical threat to firemen. He praised the notification provisions as a “great idea.”
“Disconnecting the panel array from the building’s main power source does not turn off the solar panels themselves. They are still energized,” said Norcross, a state fire commission member who gained the technical knowledge as a union leader of electrical workers....
“This was a highly technical issue that had been discussed at fire commission meetings, but I think everyone was not full aware or had a full understanding of it.”
He said the solar industry has not yet addressed de-energizing of panels to eliminate safety risks.
“We are finding out what the issues are and trying to correct them. Saving energy is important, but the safety of firefighters is extremely important,” he said.
Norcross said the state commission will bring in industry and other experts as it studies a growing number of solar issues.
Among those safety concerns, he said, is the degree of roof coverage for solar panels.
“We had a horrible fire in Burlington County, but this type of problem is coming up all over the country,” Norcross said.
Norcross said fire commission members were unhappy by the governor’s veto this week of another fire safety bill, one that the senator sponsored. The bill, which faced criticism over its potential cost to homebuilders, would have required new houses to be equipped with sprinklers during construction.
Carol Comegno writes for the Courier-Post:ccomegno@gannett.com
