A New Jersey assemblyman who is also a volunteer firefighter has sponsored a bill that would require buildings to clearly label with an exterior emblem whether they have solar panels.
Robert Schroeder splits his time as a lawmaker and Woodcliff Lake Township firefighter and believes the bill would help protect firefighters from the danger of electrocution, according to The Freehold Patch.
The bipartisan bill was recently approved by the Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee.
"New Jersey is one of the fastest-growing markets for solar energy and trails only California in terms of installations, but solar panels pose an unintended threat to firefighters," Schroeder told the news website.
"Safe firefighting requires knowledge and awareness of the situation. This bill will let emergency responders know at a glance when there's a threat of electrocution because the building is actively harnessing power from the sun."
The push for the bill came after the NFPA recommended the safety measure in a report that focused on structural firefighting in buildings with solar panels.
