RESIDENTIAL SMOKE ALARM, CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM AND SECONDARY POWER SOURCE IDENTIFICATION

New Jersey Fire Code mandates the following when selling your 1 or 2 family home.

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2025

1) SMOKE ALARMS **NOTE: Working smoke alarms for all years are required to be on every level of the residence including basement.**

Alarms shall be on every level, including the basement. Alarms shall be on every level, including the basement. Levels that have bedrooms, alarms shall be within the immediate vicinity and no more than 21 feet from the bedrooms.
The alarms should be mounted on the ceiling, but if an alarm has to be mounted on a wall, it must be 4 inches minimum and 12 inches maximum from the ceiling. They must also be 4 inches from any corner, and a minimum of 3 feet from any air registers.
Smoke alarms, including hard wired, shall be under 10 years old.
Please be sure to refer to the manufactures instructions.
- Homes built prior to 1978 - a minimum of (1) one 10-YEAR SEALED battery operated smoke alarms on each level of the home.
- 1978 – 1983 – Electric alarms were installed on each level of the home.
- 1984 – 1990 – Requires interconnected electric smoke alarms with battery backups on each level.
- 1991 – Present – Electric Interconnected smoke alarms with battery backups in bedrooms and on every level.

**If you were required to upgrade to electric smoke alarms – they must be MAINTAINED as hardwired,

less than 10 years of age and fully functional.**

2) CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS (CO)

On each level that has sleeping areas, and installed in the vicinity of the bedrooms.
They can be mounted on ceilings or walls with no height restrictions.
Battery Only and Plug In CO alarms shall be under 5 years old. Combination Smoke Alarm/Carbon Monoxide Alarms shall be under 10 years old and comply with smoke detector rules.
Please be sure to refer to the manufacturer's instructions.

3) SECONDARY POWER SOURCE IDENTIFICATION

The requirements apply to one- or two-family and attached single family dwellings only.
A label must be installed within 18 inches of the main electrical panel and electrical meter warning of the dangers associated with secondary power sources
A secondary power source may include permanently installed internal combustion generators, solar panels, battery storage systems, or any other supplemental source of electrical energy to the primary power supply.
The label, compliant with ANSI Z535.4, must be marked with the wording similar to “CAUTION: MULTIPLE SOURCES OF POWER” and may not be handwritten. See example below:

4) FEES

The fee for an inspection and issuance of a certificate will be $45.00 on a scheduled inspection day (scheduled days are 10 business days or more from the contact date)

$80.00 for a non-scheduled smoke detector inspection appointment more than 4 business days but less than 10 business days from the contact date
$130.00 for a non-scheduled smoke detector inspection appointment less than 4 business days from the Bureau contact date.
Any reinspection required for failure to have properly installed or operating detectors in accordance with the code will be subject to a reinspection fee of an additional $30.00. This fee will also be charged for failure to maintain the scheduled appointment or entry to the structure.

Payment by Credit Card is available. Please call 732-458-4100 for processing (a credit card processing fee may apply.)

Ordinance fee change effective 12/29/16.

Please also be reminded that closing on a resale of a residential dwelling without a properly issued

Certificate of Certificate of Smoke Alarm, Carbon Monoxide Alarm and Secondary Power Source Identification

prior to closing subjects the seller to a minimum fine of $1000.00.

5) FAQ

If a low voltage fire alarm system installed in premises is considered the primary system, this system is a permanent fixture of the premises and shall be monitored by an approved supervising station. The system shall be maintained in accordance with NFPA 72 and tested by your alarm company. A copy of NFPA 72 report is to be submitted to this office prior to closing.
If electric or hard-wired interconnected alarms need to be replaced due to age, they shall be replaced with hard-wired alarms. Battery alarms are not acceptable replacements for wired alarms.
Do not mount alarms in unfinished attic spaces, stairwells, top of basement stairs or in the kitchen as they often result in unwanted false alarms.

Code References:
N.J.A.C.5:70-4.19 N.J.A.C.5:70-2.3 NFPA 72 ANSI/UL 217 UL-2034 NFPA 720

CALL THE BUREAU OFFICE
AT 732-458-4100 FOR INFORMATION
Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Check your alarms to see that they are operational.

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPER INSTALLATION OF SMOKE ALARMS AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM/DETECTORS.

If you feel there may be any danger of fire, CALL 9-1-1.

APPOINTMENTS: Call the Brick Bureau of Fire Safety 732-458-4100 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or

e-mail us at bureau@brickfire.org. The following information will be needed to set up an appointment for our inspectors:

Contact Person's Name: _____________________
Phone # (Daytime): _________________________
Address of Resale Property: __________________
Block: ________________ Lot: _______________
Owner's Name: ____________________________
Year the House was Built: ____________________

Any Renovations or Additions?: ________________

How Many Stories? (above Ground): ____________

Basement: ________ Finished?: _______________

Secondary Power Source? Yes / No Type: ________

Labeled?: ______ electric meter? _______ electrical panel?

SMOKE ALARMS

If you were to build a house today, smoke alarms would be required in each bedroom, on each level of the home in the vicinity of the bedrooms, including basements. These alarms would be required to be electrically operated with a battery back up and interconnected, so if one alarm sounds they activate throughout the entire home.

The diagrams below also include smoke alarms in your bedrooms. These smoke alarms are needed for new construction, recommended for added protection and may be required when you add an addition or renovation. Contact the Building Department (732) 262-1035 if you have any fire code related questions on new construction and additions.

Type of Smoke Alarms

WHICH TYPE?

IONIZATION

An ionization type alarm uses a very small quantity of radioactive material. These alarms are better at detecting small particles of combustion typically produced by flaming fires.

PHOTOELECTRIC

A photoelectric alarm uses a small infrared light. Photoelectric type smoke alarms are better at detecting larger particles produced by smoldering fires.Photoelectric alarms are slightly more resistant to unwanted alarms caused by cooking vapors or bathroom moisture.

Both types of alarms are tested and listed and when properly installed and maintained, both alarms will save lives.

Smoke and deadly gases are also hot, so they will rise towards the ceiling and that is where the alarms should be. In general you should put your alarms squarely in the path that smoke would probably travel if it were heading upstairs, down your hall or through your home. Protecting your bedrooms at night, or the area where you are most at risk from the fire when you are sleeping is a top priority. That's when and where most fire deaths occur.

CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM / DETECTORS

The above diagram shows a carbon monoxide alarm on each level -------

For resale of the home, installation of a carbon monoxide alarm will be required in the vicinity of all sleeping rooms in all buildings of Use Groups I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 that contain fuel-burning appliances or have attached garages. If an individual dwelling unit does not contain a fuel-burning appliance, i.e. stove, furnace or hot water heater or have an attached garage, the residential unit is currently exempt from the carbon monoxide alarm requirement. In accordance with the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Fire Safety, effective April 7, 2003.

If an electric plug in type is utilized, it cannot be installed inside any room. In order to be heard while you are sleeping, it has to be in the hallway (outside the bedroom doors). If no outlet is available, a battery or electric type unit should be installed on the wall or ceiling in accordance with manufacturer's installation instructions. A combination Smoke Alarm/Carbon Monoxide alarm/detector can be installed. (REMEMBER: if the smoke alarm is required to be electric, the combination unit has to be electric.)

RECALLS

The following Carbon Monoxide devices have been recalled:

The model is Nighthawk, manufactured between November 8, 1998 and March 9, 1999. The date of manufacture is on the back of the unit as year, month and day. The words NIGHTHAWK and Carbon Monoxide Alarm are written on the front of the unit. If only Carbon Monoxide Alarm is written on the front, the unit is NOT included in the recall.
The Lifesaver models included in the recall are models 9CO-1 and 9CO-1C, manufactured between 6/1/97 and 1/31/98. The manufacture date is on the back of the unit as the first six numbers of the serial number, located above the UPC. The manufacture date is written as day, month and year. LIFESAVER and Carbon Monoxide Detector are written on the front of the unit. Should you have a unit included in the recall, contact Kidde Safety at (888) 543-3346.

The following Smoke Detection devices have been recalled:

Kidde Recalls Model PI2000 Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms. An electrostatic discharge can damage the unit, causing it not to warn consumers of a fire. The alarms can be identified by two buttons, "HUSH" and "PUSH AND HOLD TO TEST WEEKLY," which are located on the front/center of the alarm. The model number and date code are on the back of the smoke alarm. Only date codes 2008 Aug.01 through 2009 May 04 are included in this recall. Sold at retail, department, and hardware stores and through electrical distributors nationwide from August 2008 through May 2009 for between $30 and $40. Consumers should contact Kidde immediately to receive a free replacement smoke alarm at 1-877-524-2086 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit their website at www.kidde.com
This recall involves Kidde TruSense Smoke Alarms and Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarms. The recalled units are Kidde Model Series 2040, 2050, 2060 and 2070 Smoke and Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide alarms. Only alarms with the TruSense logo or “AMBER=FAULT” printed on the front of the alarm are included in this recall. The model number is printed on the back of the alarm. These units were sold from May 2019 through September 2020 at Walmart, Home Depot, Menards and other department, home and hardware stores and electrical distributors nationwide, and online at Amazon.com, ShopKidde.com and other online retailers.

RECALL: Kidde dual-sensor (photoelectric and ionization) smoke alarms - models PI2010 and PI9010 Hazard:A yellow cap left on during the manufacturing process can cover one of the two smoke sensors and compromise the smoke alarm's ability to detect smoke, posing a risk of consumers not being alerted to a fire in their home. Remedy:Replace Recall date:March 21, 2018

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/kidde-recalls-dual-sensor-smoke-alarms-due-to-risk-of-failure-to-alert-consumers-to-a Kidde toll-free at 833-551-7739 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information.