Need your help Today: Ask Del. Barve to move the Melanie Diaz Sprinklers Save Lives Act

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Dear Friends:

As your district councilmember, I wanted to update you on the progress of legislation in Annapolis that would improve the safety of residents' homes in our community.

In February, a tragic apartment fire in Downtown Silver Spring took the life of 25-year-old Melanie Diaz and her two dogs, displaced over 400 residents, and hospitalized 20 people, including firefighters. 100 apartments were also condemned.

This apartment complex is one of 76 high-rise buildings in Montgomery County that currently do not have automatic sprinkler systems.

To promote essential safety measures and save lives in the event of a fire, I led my ten colleagues on the Montgomery County Council, along with the County Executive, in submitting a letter in support of the the Melanie Diaz Sprinklers Save Lives Act (SB 970/HB 1292). You can read the full press release here.

This statewide bill was introduced by Delegate Lorig Charkoudian and Senator Will Smith in the Maryland General Assembly.

If passed and signed into law, SB 970/HB 1292 would provide necessary fire safety improvements in high-rise apartment buildings by requiring automatic sprinkler systems be installed by January 1, 2033, as are required by the International and State Fire Code.

Chair Kumar Barve in the House of Delegates has the power to bring this bill up for a hearing and determine the fate of these crucial fire safety measures. Contact him by clicking the button below to use a pre-made template, or write your own message to Del. Barve.