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Would you be willing to spend $30 to save a life?
That's the cost of one device that has been proven to work in preventing fires and is recommended in all new home construction. But many homes all over Ohio don't have it, so they remain at risk for deadly fires.
Every year nearly 70,000 homes go up in flames across the country. Often, faulty electrical wiring is to blame.
That's exactly what happened to Ohio resident Glen Easterday, who was emotional as he looked around his former house, explaining that he "lost a lot of memories."
For only $30, a simple electrical device could have saved Easterday's home. That's why electricians like Al Sheldon call them life-saving.
"It's basically the best protection you can have on your electrical wiring that's been out in the last 15 years," says Sheldon.
So when Easterday re-built his home, he made sure every room was covered. But a 9News investigation found homes across Ohio are being built with far less protection.
The findings worry Glen Easterday. "I wouldn't want to see anybody go through what I went through," he says.
The new device is called an arc fault circuit interrupter. Experts say it is both affordable and simple, and can stop a deadly electrical fire before it starts. It works by immediately shutting down if electrical wiring sparks.
Tom Moore, a certified electrical inspector, says, "This is kind of like a safety feature. When you sleep, it's protecting your house."
The U.S. Fire Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have all urged the use of arc faults as a form of protection. They all call them "reliable and effective."
"The arc fault circuit interrupters will detect the fire before it actually occurs," says Mark Earley of the NFPA.
This year new homes across Ohio were supposed to be fully protected by this new device. So what happened?
The very state board who oversees building safety standards in Ohio suddenly pulled the plug.
"They are a part of the family, so to speak, and they said 'we want you to look at this'...so we did." says Gerald Holland, a member of the Ohio Board of Building Standards.
He's not talking about your family. Instead, he’s talking about the Ohio Home Builders Association. The group is claiming a $30 safety feature is a significant cost and didn't want it to be mandatory in new construction.
And one letter to the right person did the trick.
An executive order signed by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland pulled the plug on safety features like this.
"We don't think the changes that would result would impact public safety. If I thought it was, there would be no question about what I would do," Strickland said when asked about his decision.
The governor also blamed the economy, saying the new standard was tough on homebuilders. The Ohio Home Builders Association estimates it could add between $600 and $1,200 to the cost of a new home.
But an analysis by Ohio electrical inspectors estimates the figure at less than $200.
Sixteen other states have already approved the use of arc faults and Kentucky will require them in new construction starting in August 2008.
For Ohio, it will be at least next year before new safety improvements, if approved, take effect.
