Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart introduced legislation Tuesday that would require high-rise apartment buildings to keep smoke escape hoods on-site for firefighters to use during fire emergencies.
Bill 43-26 would apply to apartment buildings five stories or taller and require a minimum number of smoke escape hoods equal to five percent of a building’s occupancy. The director of the Department of Permitting Services could require additional hoods, up to 10 percent of occupancy.
Smoke escape hoods are heat-resistant devices with filters designed to protect the eyes, face and lungs from toxic smoke and gases while evacuating a building. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) recently added a limited number of the devices to its equipment following a donation from the family of Melanie Diaz, who died in the 2023 Arrive apartment fire in Silver Spring.
Council President Natali Fani-González, Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmembers Sidney Katz, Shebra Evans, Dawn Luedtke, Kristin Mink and Laurie-Anne Sayles are cosponsors. A public hearing on the legislation is scheduled for October 6.
The proposal is part of the Council’s current legislative activity; the Council’s official Legislative Information Management System tracks introduced bills and their subsequent actions.
