Carbon Monoxide Detector Required In Ocean City

The Fire Marshal Division of the Ocean City Fire Department is reaching out to our citizens and property owners, to once again inform them of the requirements regarding Carbon Monoxide Detectors.

After two tragic carbon monoxide poisoning deaths in Ocean City in 2006, the Mayor and City Council passed Ordinance 2007-2 and Ordinance 2007-7, which require the installation of Carbon Monoxide detectors in all new single-family and multi-family dwellings and all existing single family dwellings. Multi-family dwellings were given a 24-month compliance period which expired in February of 2009.

Shortly after the expiration of this grace period, Ocean City experienced two emergency Carbon Monoxide incidents. The first at the El Capitan on 4th Street – June and the second occurred this month at the Americana Hotel on 10th Street. At both of these incidents occupants of the multi-family dwellings were exposed to and became ill from Carbon Monoxide, to the extent they were transported to the hospital and treated. In both incidents neither of these multi-family dwellings had installed Carbon Monoxide detectors as required in Ordinance 2007-2 and 2007-7.

The Fire Marshal Division cited the El Capitan $2,000 and conducted a complete life safety inspection of the entire building. The Americana Hotel was cited $10,000 and will remain closed to the public until all Carbon Monoxide producing equipment can be certified safe and installed properly, by an independent inspection agency. A complete life safety inspection has also been conducted of the entire Americana Hotel.

As a representative measure of compliance, the Fire Marshal Division is physically inspecting a three to five city block area for carbon monoxide detector requirement compliance. Based upon these results, an evaluation will be conducted to determine the need for further enforcement strategies. Buildings found in violation of the ordinances are subject to a $1,000 citation for each violation.

The Town of Ocean City and the Ocean City Fire Department urge all citizens and property owners to become familiar and comply with the requirements of the Carbon Monoxide Ordinances, and the dangers of carbon monoxide by visiting our website at http://www.town.ocean-city.md.us/firem/ or call the Fire Marshal Division at 410-289-8780.

Photos from the scene.