Maynard Fire Department Provides Information on Smoke, CO Detector Deferrals During State of Emergency

MAYNARD — Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Anthony Stowers would like to inform Maynard home owners and area real estate agents of information relating to the temporary deferral of smoke and CO detector inspections during the ongoing state of emergency in Massachusetts.

As part of the state of emergency that went into effect Tuesday, March 10, Governor Charlie Baker has ordered that any smoke and CO detector inspections required under law shall be deferred for up to 90 days after the state of emergency is lifted.

The order is effective immediately and shall apply to any sale or transfer of property that occurs while the order is in effect. The order should remain in effect until rescinded or until the state of emergency is terminated, whichever happens first.

Click here for more information on Governor Baker’s orders relating to this matter. Home owners and area real estate agents are recommended to review the order carefully.

Those who are purchasing a new home will be responsible for equipping their homes with working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, not the seller. Buyers must then notify the Fire Department and schedule an inspection within the 90 days after the state of emergency is lifted.

Some important information on smoke and CO inspections include:

• Find out when your home was built and the date the last building permit was issued for any renovations. Call the Town of Maynard Building & Inspections Division at 978-897-1302 if you don’t know this information.
• Call the Maynard Fire Department to schedule your inspection as soon as you have a closing date on a property. The department will issue a certificate of compliance if your alarms pass the inspection. The Maynard Fire Department business line is 978-897-1014.
• A house number attached to the house that is visible from the street is required.
• Using the date your home was built and the date the last building permit was issued, figure out the smoke and CO alarm requirements for your home. These requirements are listed by date in the Guide to Massachusetts Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Requirements When Selling a One- or Two- Family Residence web page. 
• List the location of all smoke and CO alarms in your home. Determine the age of each alarm. The date of manufacture is stamped on the front or back of most alarms. If you have to remove an alarm from its bracket to get the information, be sure to replace the alarm when you are finished. If there is no date on an alarm, it has expired and must be replaced.
• Compare your existing alarms and the requirements for your home to determine if you must replace any or all of the alarms in your house.
• If your smoke and/or CO alarms do not meet the requirements for your house and need replacement, you can purchase and install new equipment yourself or hire someone to do so. You may need an electrician to replace hard-wired alarms.
• Battery-powered smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old, or have expired, must be replaced with alarms with 10-year, sealed, non-rechargeable, non-replaceable batteries. They must be photoelectric and have a hush feature to silence nuisance alarms.
• After your new smoke and CO alarms are installed, test them to be sure they work properly.

Local fire departments charge a fee for the inspection and certificate. Call the Maynard Fire Department at 978-897-1014 for more information about the requirements for your home, including inspections and certificates.

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