LAPORTE, Ind. (AP) — The Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission has approved an ordinance requiring all new homes in LaPorte to have a carbon monoxide alarm.
The Evansville Courier and Press reports Dot Kesling has been pushing for such requirements following her daughter’s death in 2010. Kesling says up until Thursday’s vote, Indiana was one of four states without either a state law or local ordinances requiring alarms.
The Indiana Apartment Association and the Indiana Builders Association opposed the ordinance, saying they want consistent regulations statewide.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says vehicles, generators and other household appliances can emit carbon monoxide, which cannot be seen or smelled, and can lead to poisoning if not properly vented.
More than 400 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning annually in the U.S.
