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Oregon program
cuts fires, deaths
Continued from page 1
Jolly said he requested five additional inspectors
for 1973-74, Gov. J. James Exon, however, cut three
of the proposed evaluators from the budget Final
appropriations are pending.
One of the authors of the national model code,
George Tryon, said he questions whether the State
Health Department can inspect mobile homes
properly.
"The code obviously covers construction,
plumbing, heating and electrical systems," according
to Tryon, administrative secretary of the NFPA
Committee oh Mobile Homes and Recreational
Vehicle!
"A qualified, registered engineer is needed in order
to appraise the mobile home according to the code,"
he said. "For the construction, a structural or civil
engineer; for plumbing, a sanitation engineer; and an
electrical engineer for the wiring."
Jolly said the major emphasis of the Nebraska
mobile horn program has been sanitation.
"We'rt not looking at stresses or the frame, these
should eoritc from an engineer, but the portions that
we look at are the sanitation aspect," Joly said. "The
drains and whether they're trapped or not, the
location Qt the electrical box and whether it's
adequately Covered."
Minimiftstctndards
Thirty -seven states have adopted a minimum
standard for mobile homes. While Nebraska's program
apparency His not curbed mobile home fires, several
other 1rjfsf)ictkn procedures have proven successful.
Thr'jtograms have emerged to evaluate mobile
homesf stit;rrtIpectlon, self-Inspection by MHMA
and tbirefrty evaluation by an independent testing
agency stfch ds Underwriters' Laboratories.
Nineteen states have initiated a state program,
eight have third-party evaluations while two states,
Minnesota and Indiana, accept both programs,
according to Larry Baron of the MHMA State
Legislative Division. Eight states have not initiated
inspection programs, he added.
In Nebraska, the taxpayers provide the money for
the program while Oregon charges the manufacturers
for each evaluation, according to W.F. Longacre,
supervisor of the Oregon Mobile Home and
Recreational Vehicle Division. ;
The Oregon program is-not.only self-suppotjUng
but since the state adopted the standard in 1969, the
proportionate number of mobile home fires has fallen
sharply, according to the Oregon state fire marshall.
Fire frequencies
In 1969, one fire was reported for every 276.12
mobile homes in Oregon while two years later one
fire occurred in every 520.82 units, according to the
state fire marshall. Fires had decreased 47.1 per cent,
he said.
One fire occurred for every 144.44 mobile homes
in Nebraska during 1971, according to the state fire
marshall. Mobile home fires also were 3.2 times more
frequent than conventional home blazes, the fire
marshall said.
Although Oregon has nearly seven times as many
mobile homes as Nebraska, seven deaths occurred in
these Nebraska dwellings during 1971 while none was
recorded in Oregon, according to the fire marshalls'
reports.
"The (Oregon) program has checked fires
effectively," Longacre said. "Strong inspection has
brought the quality of mobile homes awfully close to
regular stick dwellings."
In Oregon, a staff of four electrical and plumbing
inspectors, and a constructural engineer screens the
state's 13 mobile home factories once every 10 days,
Longacre said. He added that the staff also conducts
spot checks at 12 California manufacturers' factories
that sell homes in Oregon, three plants in Washington
and 10 Idaho firms.
"If Nebraska has statutory authority so far as
surveillance of mobile homes, what's the problem?"
asked Davenport of MHMA. "It's easily done. You
I
i
'44
f ' r- If
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If. -.
IX.
I.
Mobile homes . . . have 3.2 times more
fires than conventional houses.
charge a pro-rated fee per home and the manufacturer
pays it. And they underwrite the cost of inspection.
We find no fault with that. I'll go a little further. Had
every state adopted a mobile home code, there
wouldn't have been any need for federal legislation."
Self-inspection
Mobile home manufactueres also have initiated a
self-inspection program, according to Henry Omson,
director of the MHMA standards division.
The organization, which includes 75 per cent of
the 334 manufacturers in the United States, conducts
about 200 weekly inspections in its members', 700
plants,; -Omsorrd. Thirteen of Nebraska's 16
factories are ft$HMA members and plant1 jmanpgers
said that, on the average, MHMA inspectors check
their production monthly during a three-hour
evaluation.
Third-party inspection, where the manufacturer
contracts with an independent evaluator and pays the
inspection cost, has proven to be an effective
screening program in North Carolina according to
Kenneth Dixon, deputy commissioner of the North
Carolina Department of Insurance.
"We believe that it's cut the program cost
significantly," Dixon said. "We feel sure' that it has
cut fires and constructural problems."
The NFPA's Tryon said he believes third-party
inspection might be appropriate for Nebraska.
"Third-party inspection definitely would be the
most feasible means for Nebraska," he said. "The
state could conceivably monitor the production in
that state but who knows when sorriebody from Iowa
or Oklahoma or any other state is going to bring a
mobile home in?"
"If you then say that we have to also inspect plants
out-of-state that ship into Nebraska than you are
further diluting your available technical forces," he
added.
Limited manpower
Although Nebraska has tried to monitor incoming
mobile homes, limitations on manpower have made
such screening nearly impossible, Jolly said.
Few of Nebraska's neighboring states have adoped
a mobile home standard and if they have, many have
not started inspection programs.
South Dakota, Wyoming and Oklahoma have not
accepted a minimum standard while Iowa, Kansas and
Missouri have not initiated comprehensive inspecions.
Minnesota, North pakota and Colorado have adopted
anVispect ion program. - "
Two congressmen also have acWed-sorrte idling to '
the inspection fire.
A bill introduced by Rep. Louis Frey, R-FIa,
would place mobile homes under the jurisdiction of
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) while another measure from
Rep. John Moss, D-Calif., provides that mobile home
inspection would be a function of the Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
MHMA lobbyist Baron said the manufacturer's
association supports the concept of Frey's bill but has
not formally endorsed the legislation. He added that
MHMA has taken no position on Moss' bill.
Legislation, however, will not prevent all mobile
home fires. Because of individual and manufacturers'
carelessness, Nebraskans may continue to die in
mobile home fires. The consumer also must be aware
of the potential dangers of any product.
As Lincoln Fire Chief Dallas Johnson said: "The
tragedy of mobile homes is that persons are probably
getting what they pay for. Perhaps those in mobile
homes should be aware of the product. Buyer beware.
In Flip Wilson's words: 'What you see is what you
get.'"
-doily nebraskon
Edltor-m-Chlef : Tom Laniworth. Managing Editor: Cheryl Wettcott.
Newt Editor; Mlchool (O.J.) Notion.
Special Editor: Jim Grey. Sporu Editor: Dave Slttler. Photography
Chief: Gall Fold. Night Newi Editor: Ron Clinnenpeel.
Copyright 1073, The Daily Nsbraskan. Maturial may be reprinted
without permlMion if attributed to the Daily Nebraskan, excepting
material covered by another copyright.
Second class postage paid at Lincoln, Nebraska.
Address: The Daily Nebraskan34 Nebraska Union14th & R
StreetsLincoln, Nebr. 68508. Telephone: 4024722588.
ERA hearing
set for 2 p.m.
A hearing on legislative attempts to
withdraw Nebraska's ratification of the
Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution will be held by the
Unicameral's Government Committee at
2 p.m. today.
rmm
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page 2
daily nebraskan
thursday, february 22, 1973
