A proposal to require carbon monoxide detectors in rental units is intended to help protect the community’s residents, not penalize property owners, Troy Fire Chief Matt Simmons said.

The proposal to require the detectors followed the deaths almost a year ago of three teen girls from carbon monoxide poisoning at a South Elm Street rental property where they lived with their grandmother. The young boy taken ill from the house the afternoon of Feb. 27, 2015, survived.

Simmons said those deaths were in the forefront as the department undertook a review for “the protection of our community and what can we do to help.”

Shortly after the deaths, a smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector program was initiated in which the fire department staff on request would deliver a detector, install it and provide education. Detectors were donated by Meijer and First Alert and provided through a community detector fund set up through The Troy Foundation.

So far, 270 of the smoke/carbon monoxide detectors have been installed. “It has been a great program,” Simmons said.

The proposal before council would require rental property owners to supply and install the carbon monoxide alarms, ensure any batteries are operating when someone first occupies the property and provide written information to the occupant about testing and maintenance.

The occupant would be required to install replacement batteries as needed, test and provide general alarm maintenance and notify the owner in writing of any deficiencies they cannot fix.

The carbon monoxide detectors are required by the state building code, which is in effect in the city, for all new residential construction.

Carbon monoxide provisions for existing residences are included in a pending new state Fire Code, based in large part on the international fire code, and are part of codes in use across the country, Simmons said.

The goal is to educate and protect, the chief said.

“We are not going to get a group of inspectors and go out and inspect homes in Troy,” Simmons said. “Our goal as a fire department is to educate people, not to charge people.”

The proposal also includes adding a penalty section to allow the city and police to enforce fire code requirements criminally. The penalty would be for all code requirements/prohibitions, such as open burning, not just the carbon monoxide detectors, Simmons said.

A criminal penalty section was inadvertently removed during a prior code update a couple of years ago, said Patrick Titterington, city service and safety director.