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Congressional
~.Research Service
Carbon Monoxide Detection Requirements
for Military Housing
July 26, 2019
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can cause sudden illness or death if
a person is exposed to certain quantities. Often referred to as the silent killer, CO poisoning kills over
430 people annually in the United States (U.S.), and approximately 50,000 people seek emergency
medical treatment. Most states have enacted statutes or adopted regulations that require CO detectors or
alarms in private dwellings. In these states, owners are required to install at least one battery-operated or
hard wired CO detector or alarm in a housing unit.
Likewise, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Military Services have taken CO risk reduction
measures for housing they own and operate. However, DOD estimates about 63% of military families live
off-post in private sector housing, or otherwise not on a military installation in DOD-maintained property.
This military population is subject to the CO safety measures enacted by state or local jurisdictions, which
vary from robust to nonexistent. In addition, another 24% of military families live in military privatized
housing (i.e., housing built, maintained, and operated by private developers, though leased from DOD
through a ground lease). Military privatized housing can be off-post or on a military installation, but in
either case, CO detector or alarm requirements are generally determined by state and local laws, not
DOD, unless explicitly written into privatized housing lease agreements.
What is DOD's Policy for CO Detectors?
DOD's Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) requires the installation of CO detectors as part of its building
facilities criteria for family housing constructed on DOD property. UFCs apply to the Military
Departments, the Defense Agencies, and DOD Field Activities in accordance with DOD Directive 4270.5
(Military Construction). UFC 4-711-01 states that DOD is to provide CO detection in compliance with
[the] hiternational Residential Code (IRC), or UFC 3-600-01 as applicable for family housing.
Additionally, the Military Services often issue separate policy and guidance that reinforce the CO detector
requirement for service-owned real property, and, to a lesser degree for leased property. For example,
Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) Instruction 11103.1 states that for military personnel
who are authorized to live in government-owned or leased quarters, Public Private Venture (PPV) or
community housing, the minimum acceptability criteria to meet military housing needs includes fully
operational smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and other safety features as required by State, Federal
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN11149
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/govbaoq0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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