Passaic, NJ – If his son had died of something else, like a car accident, Ray Korman might be able to accept it.
Instead, Noel Korman died thoughtlessly, Korman says, of a carbon monoxide leak in a music studio Dec. 7, succumbing to the invisible, odorless and deadly gas with girlfriend Alice Park.
The way this occurred without his knowledge, it’s hard to accept, Korman said.
Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Bergen, Passaic) plans to introduce a bill Thursday that would require detectors in every structure in the state. It is an attempt to ensure that deaths like those of Korman and Park never happen again.
The cost of these devices is minimal: $35 to $40 each, Schaer said. And yet that cost would save human lives as we have already found, unfortunately.
State law currently requires carbon monoxide detectors in places where people sleep: hotels and homes. That excludes buildings like studios and schools, Schaer said.
The bill would extend the requirement to all other structures with heat sources that could emit carbon monoxide. Not even buildings with ventilation systems should be exempted, Schaer said.
We know that when doors are closed, when windows are closed, there’s minimal circulation, he said.
George Street, the owner of the Streets Rehearsal Studios, declined to comment on the bill.
Builders won’t be able to get construction permits unless they plan to install carbon monoxide detectors under the bill. And any existing buildings must install them within 90 days if the bill becomes law.
Fire officials would check the detectors every two years as part of their regular inspections under the bill. Michael Shafrin, a fire official for Passaic, said this requirement wouldn’t be onerousit’s just another check on his list.
More detectors would mean more calls for the fire department, Chief Patrick Trentacost said, but that’s better than the alternative.
We welcome those calls, he said.
Ray Korman is considering taking legal action against the Streets Rehearsal studio. John Burke, his attorney, said he was investigating bringing a claim.
In the meantime, Korman is pushing for the bill, which is being co-sponsored by Vincent Prieto, Joseph Lagana, Thomas Giblin and Marlene Caride in the Assembly and Paul Sarlo in the Senate.
Please pass this bill, Korman said. It will in the future save a lot of people’s lives and tragedies like this hopefully will never occur.