Cuomo Signs Fire Sprinkler Act in Honor of Commack Native

A Commack native killed in an off-campus housing fire near Marist College will forever be remembered in a new state law aimed as helping others avoid the same fate. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Kerry Rose Sprinkler Notification Act on Thursday, creating a new law that requires public and private colleges in New York to provide students with written information on fire safety and sprinkler systems in college-owned or operated housing.  

"Fire safety and prevention must be a top priority, especially at colleges where young people often don't know what systems are in place to keep them safe in a fire," Cuomo said. "It was a tragedy for our entire state when Marist student Kerry Rose Fitzsimons and two other young people lost their lives in a fire last year. This new law will improve fire safety awareness for our college students so we can prevent tragic incidents like this from happening again." 

Kerry Rose Fitzsimons, of Commack, was one of three killed when a fire blazed through a student-rented, off-campus housing near Marist College in January 2012. Her cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation while sleeping. 

"It’s a start for a long process to kid our children safe in school," said Robert Fitzsimons, father of Kerry Rose. 

Previously, state law only required colleges to publish fire safety standards as part of a federally required annual report, but did not have to inform students. 

Robert Fitzsimons admitted the new legislation would not have protected his daughter, Kerry Rose, who was living off-campus, but not college-owned housing. He said the Kerry Rose Foundation will continue with its mission to  to bring awareness to college students and their families about fire safety.  

"Two-thirds of our kids are living in off-campus, not college-owned housing, so that’s the next step for us," Robert said. 

The Kerry Rose Foundation also is pushing for legislation that would provide a federal tax incentive to property owners willing to install fire sprinklers in older buildings, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-Dix Hills. The bill has not yet come up for a vote in the U.S. Congress. 

Robert said the Kerry Rose Foundation also plans to launch a billboard campaign to bring more attention to their mission as students return to schools this fall.