Terin Hopkins, Manager of Public Fire Protection

Maryland has long been recognized as a national leader in fire safety, not because it reinvents fire codes, but because it respects and enforces them. For decades, the State has followed a proven model: adopt nationally recognized consensus standards and apply them consistently to protect the public.

That tradition is now at a critical crossroads.

As policymakers consider the future of fire safety, particularly in residential existing high-rise buildings, it is essential to reaffirm a principle that has served Marylanders well:

Fire safety should not be legislated line-by-line. It should be built on consensus standards developed by experts and enforced through law.

Recent Maryland legislative efforts deserve recognition for moving in that direction. In particular, Senate Bill 0624 represents a thoughtful and constructive step toward reinforcing baseline national fire safety expectations in residential settings. By establishing requirements for smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detection, fire extinguishers, evacuation information, and inspection protocols, the bill demonstrates a clear commitment to protecting occupants where they live and sleep.

Equally important, the bill recognizes the role of certified inspectors and nationally recognized fire safety organizations in verifying compliance, reinforcing the idea that technical expertise, not statutory language, should define how fire safety is achieved.

That approach should be commended.

The NFPA Perspective: Why Consensus Matters

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has long emphasized that effective fire safety regulation depends on the adoption of consensus-based codes and standards, not the creation of technical requirements through legislative action.

NFPA’s model is built on a simple but critical premise:

Codes should reflect the collective expertise of the fire protection community and be adopted into law, not rewritten within it.

Through its open, balanced standards development process, NFPA brings together fire service professionals, engineers, code officials, and public stakeholders to establish requirements that are:

• Technically sound
• Field-tested
• Continuously updated
• Nationally consistent

This is why NFPA consistently promotes the adoption of its codes “as written” to ensure that the full, integrated system of safety is preserved. Selective modification, especially through legislative carve-outs, can undermine that system in ways that are not immediately visible but become critical during a fire event.

Maryland’s Longstanding Model: Adopt, Don’t Alter

For decades, Maryland has built its fire prevention framework around this exact philosophy.

State law has traditionally required that:

“The State Fire Prevention Code shall comply with standard safe practice as embodied in widely recognized standards of good practice for fire prevention and fire protection.”

This language is more than procedural, it is foundational. It ensures that Maryland’s fire safety requirements remain aligned with national minimum best practices and evolve alongside emerging risks.

Recent legislative efforts, including Senate Bill 0624, reflect a continued commitment to that model. By establishing baseline fire safety requirements in residential settings, such as smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detection, and inspection protocols, the bill reinforces the importance of protecting occupants where they live and sleep.

Equally important, it recognizes the role of certified inspectors and nationally recognized fire safety organizations in verifying compliance.

That approach should be commended. It reflects a clear understanding that:

• Legislation sets expectations
• Standards define implementation
• Enforcement ensures compliance

The Danger of Legislating Technical Code

When legislature’s move beyond policy and begin shaping the technical content of fire codes, even with good intentions, the consequences can be tragic.

Fire protection systems are not a collection of isolated requirements; they are integrated systems designed to work together. Removing or modifying individual components through statute can disrupt that balance.

Legislating technical code provisions can lead to:

Fragmentation

Inconsistent requirements across jurisdictions create confusion for designers, inspectors, and the fire service.

Loss of Technical Integrity

Fire protection design relies on engineering principles and operational realities that are best addressed through the consensus process, not legislative compromise.

Slower Adaptation

Consensus standards are updated regularly. Statutory requirements are not. Embedding technical details in law risks locking in outdated practices.

Increased Risk

Perhaps most importantly, carving out safety provisions can create vulnerabilities that only become apparent during an emergency, when there is no margin for error.

Commending Legislative Leadership and Staying on Course

Maryland legislators deserve recognition for taking action to strengthen fire safety protections.

SB0624 demonstrates a commitment to:

• Establishing enforceable safety requirements
• Ensuring accountability through inspection and reporting
• Leveraging qualified professionals and recognized organizations

This is exactly how fire safety legislation should function.

But as the State addresses more complex challenges, particularly in existing residential high-rise buildings, it is critical to maintain consistency with Maryland’s longstanding approach.

That means resisting the urge to carve out or modify technical provisions within adopted codes.

Because every exception, no matter how minor it may seem, erodes an already minimal baseline of fire prevention and protection, weakening the overall effectiveness of the system designed to safeguard lives.

The High-Rise Imperative

The need to preserve this approach is especially urgent in the context of existing residential high-rise buildings.

These structures, many built before modern fire protection requirements, house thousands of Maryland residents. Yet many lack basic automatic fire sprinkler systems, the single most effective tool for controlling fires in their early stages.

At the same time, the fire environment has changed:
• Fires grow faster
• Smoke is more toxic
• Escape time is reduced

The consensus fire protection community has already responded. National standards clearly recognize fire sprinklers as the cornerstone of high-rise life safety and, critically, there is broad agreement that the retrofit of automatic fire sprinkler systems in existing legacy high-rise buildings represents the minimum level of protection necessary to address today’s fire risk.

The role of the legislature is not to redefine those standards, but to ensure they are applied where they are needed most.

Emergency Measures: Reinforce, Don’t Replace

Maryland law provides a mechanism for acting with urgency when public safety is at risk:

“Act is an emergency measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety…”

This language is appropriate and necessary when addressing known hazards in existing buildings.

But emergency authority should not be used to bypass or rewrite consensus standards. It should be used to accelerate their adoption and enforcement.

In the case of residential high-rise retrofit, that means:

• Reaffirming the requirement to follow widely recognized standards of good practice
• Establishing clear expectations for life safety improvements, including fire sprinkler protection
• Allowing nationally recognized codes to define the technical path forward

A Clear Policy Principle

The path forward for Maryland is not complicated but it requires discipline:

Do not legislate the code. Enforce it.

This principle ensures that:

• Fire safety requirements remain technically sound
• Standards evolve with new risks and research
• Enforcement is consistent and credible
• Public safety is not compromised by well-intentioned but incomplete modifications

Conclusion: Protect the System That Protects Marylanders

Maryland’s success in fire safety is built on a foundation of trust, trust in the consensus process, trust in technical expertise, and trust in a system that has been refined over many decades.

That system works.

Senate Bill 624 reflects that tradition by reinforcing safety expectations while respecting the role of nationally recognized standards. Legislators should be commended for that leadership.

The challenge now is to carry that approach forward, especially in areas where the risks are greatest.

Because when it comes to fire safety, the goal is not to rewrite the rules.

It is to ensure the right ones are followed—without compromise.

Terin Hopkins has 40 years of experience in public safety, fire protection, and life safety policy. He currently serves as the Manager of Public Fire Protection for the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), where he leads technical support and advocacy efforts nationwide, working closely with fire departments, code and standard, and policymakers to improve fire protection infrastructure and compliance. He represents NFSA on NFPA and UL technical committees, including NFPA 14 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems.