Implementing a Community-Wide Automatic Residential Remote Alarm System: The Westland Plan

摘要

This report is the result of a study that documents the development and enactment of the innovative Westland, Michigan Plan to protect its citizens from fire-related losses. In 1978 the city passed a Smoke Detector ordinance requiring every dwelling unit, new or existing, to have at least one smoke detector in the sleeping area. Despite this ordinance three sleeping children perished in a fire that year because the detector was improperly placed and did not operate quickly enough to give proper warning. The Mayor and City Council realizing that the smoke detector ordinance did increase the level of protection aganist fire losses but that further steps would be necessary to make the city one of the safest in the Nation. They put together the Westland Plan which involves three major components. (1) Passage of a 'Home Certification' ordinance requiring all dwellings be certified safe prior to resale or initial occupancy. (2) Utilization of the two-way capabilities of municipally owned Cable TV as a medium for an Automatic Residential Remote Alarm System, ARRAS. (3) Potential reduction in homeowner's insurance premiums for ARRAS customers. The U.S. Fire Administration is examining this plan for possible national replication.