The family of a UW-La Crosse student killed in a house fire on Bedford Street last year spoke Tuesday to commemorate their son and voice support for a city ordinance that aims to prevent future tragedies.
A gathering at a Madison fire station marked the one-year anniversary of the fire that killed Peter Talen, 23, and injured three other UW-Madison students.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, proposed the Peter Talen Memorial Ordinance at the Common Council meeting Tuesday night. Provisions of the ordinance include mandating tamper resistant fire detectors and requiring 10-year lithium batteries to be installed.
Talen's family, of Plymouth, Wis., said they believe the proposed ordinance can create a safer environment in downtown housing.
Talen's father, Tim, said the ordinance means a great deal to [his] family"" and hopes its introduction will ""save a life.""
Andy Talen, Peter's brother who was injured in the fire, spoke of the ordinance's importance.
""[Fire dangers are] something we have the technology to correct,"" he said. ""Hopefully [the ordinance] will pass and save some lives.""
Peter's mother, Patty, said she thinks the strict fire detector rules of the ordinance are necessary preventative measures for fire safety. ""This is the right thing to do. Lets do it now,"" she said.
Verveer said the tragedy was one of the ""saddest days of the many years of [his] service"" and called the ordinance ""a major overhaul of [fire] code.""
If passed, he believes it will make a significant impact on safety in the community.
The ordinance must be passed through committees before it can be voted on by the full city council in January.
