Montgomery County could adopt new fire hood emergency devices

Montgomery County could be one of the first jurisdictions in the country to require apartment buildings to use smoke escape hoods, which are special masks that help prevent smoke inhalation when fires break out.

Council member Kate Stewart introduced a bill Tuesday that would require property owners of multifamily residential rental buildings with five or more stories to provide smoke escape hoods for use during fire emergencies. Each building would be required to have enough hoods for 5% to 10% of occupants, which would be determined by the fire chief based on the individual complex’s needs.

Smoke hoods are heat-resistant and contain a transparent airtight bag that seals around the wearer’s head while an air filter held in the mouth connects to the outside atmosphere, according to the American National Standards Institute. The hoods are emergency devices that help people escape through areas with toxic gases, fumes and smoke.

While popular in Europe, Stewart said the hoods are not commonly used in the United States. When researching the hoods, she couldn’t find any other American jurisdictions that require their use.

If the council passes the bill, Montgomery County will be one of the first jurisdictions in the country to require the hoods as part of standard fire escape procedures.

The bill is the most recent from Stewart aimed at bolstering fire safety regulations following the death of 25-year-old Melanie Diaz in a Silver Spring apartment complex fire in 2023. Investigators concluded that Diaz died of smoke inhalation while attempting to evacuate the high-rise building, which did not have a sprinkler system. Following Diaz’s death, her family donated several smoke escape hoods to the county fire department — the county’s first.

“Extended inhalation of toxic smoke and chemicals can cause sustained and life-altering injuries,” Stewart said when introducing the bill Tuesday.

She noted that smoke inhalation is the top cause of death in a fire emergency and can also create new health problems for survivors. She called the smoke escape hoods “life-saving” equipment.

Under state law, Maryland apartment buildings built before 1974 aren’t required to retrofit sprinkler systems until 2033. Stewart said the hoods are a relatively low-cost way for landlords of large residential complexes to provide fire safety resources in the meantime. Hood models cost between $265 and $450, with most averaging around $335 per unit. They have a shelf life of 5 to 15 years.

The legislation is cosponsored by Council President Natali Fani-González, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe, and council members Shebra Evans, Sidney Katz and Dawn Luedtke.

Lisa Mallory, the president and CEO of the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington, told The Bannerher organization was researching the issue.

“Because the fire hood device is mostly untested as a fire safety tool and this requirement would be the first of its kind in the United States, we are working to learn more about how residents would use it, implementation challenges, and potential operational impacts for housing providers,” the association, which represents area landlords and building owners, said in an email statement Friday.

The council will hold a public hearing on the bill at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 6.

New bill could make it easier to lease accessory dwelling units

A bill introduced by Fani-González and council member Andrew Friedson Tuesday would make it easier for homeowners to rent out accessory dwelling units on their properties by relaxing some requirements.

An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a stand-alone single-family home, according to the American Planning Association. They are often called “granny flats.” Since 2019, the county has permitted 220 ADUs, according to the Department of Permitting Services.

Currently, county law requires homeowners to live on the property as their primary residence while renting out an ADU. The new bill would remove that requirement. It would also waive the licensing and application fees for ADU owners who charge rent that is affordable to households earning 65% or less of the area median income, for a period of at least 10 years.

Fani-González and Friedson said the legislation was inspired by testimony they heard from residents that the current requirements made it difficult to lease ADUs and created financial hardships.

“Our ADU policies can and should be doing more to help reduce the housing crisis that we’re facing,” Friedson said when introducing the bill Tuesday.

The council will hold a public hearing on the bill at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 6.