Solar Energy : Safety for firefighters
MONDAY JULY 2, 2012, 1:10 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A bill approved last week by the state Assembly is designed to protect firefighters who respond to emergencies at buildings equipped with solar energy panels.
The three-fold legislation will require all businesses and non-residential buildings that are outfitted with solar paneling to register their site with fire officials. Building owners are also mandated to display an exterior emblem indicating the presence of a solar panel system and ensure that the system includes an external shut-off switch.
The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Bob Schroeder, comes with the increasing shift toward renewable resources, namely solar energy. With more and more municipalities adopting the relatively new solar methods in an effort to reduce energy costs, safety officials are identifying the risks that are associated with equipment and processes.
“We can have clean, reliable energy without making fires any more dangerous than they already are,” said Schroeder, a longtime volunteer firefighter and resident of nearby Township of Washington. “As a firefighter, I understand how important it is to know what potential dangers lie in a burning building I might have to enter.”