NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A life-saving ordinance is now in effect after New Orleans City Council members passed the measure unanimously on Thursday. The ordinance requires every home in New Orleans to have a working carbon monoxide detector with a 10-year battery life. “It just made sense for the City of New Orleans, like many other municipalities, to add a requirement that when you're building home, whether it's your own house, whether you have rental homes, whether you have STRs, whatever you have, that there be a requirement that the carbon monoxide detector be right next to that smoke detector,” explained New Orleans City Council Vice President JP Morrell. New Orleans RTA to offer free rides on election day The New Orleans Health Department purchased 500 combination carbon monoxide-smoke detectors, each with a 10-year battery life, and they were given to the New Orleans Fire Department. Firefighters will install them free of charge upon request. “The press release was sent out yesterday, announcing the partnership and the program,” explained Fire Captain Edwin Holmes. “At 8 o’clock this morning, I turned on my computer. We already have about 100 requests.” Holmes says the process, from requesting the carbon monoxide detector to having it installed, takes about 10 days. “First, they're going to call and set up a time that's most convenient for you,” Holmes said. “They come to your home and do an assessment of your safety needs and make those installs based on their assessment.” St. John the Baptist Parish Hurricane Francine disaster recovery center relocates If a landlord fails to comply with the ordinance, it would be a violation of the city's Healthy Homes Program. “If you're denied your Healthy Homes permit, then you can't rent your property, [and] you want your property rented, because that's your income, so I think that will be a pretty huge incentive.” Requests can be made by calling 504-658-4714 or online at nola.gov. Please designate that you are requesting a “Combination Alarm” in the “Additional Comments” section on the online request form. This program allows for only one combination carbon monoxide-smoke detector on each level of a residence. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Mild through the weekend, cooler temperatures expected next week Local organizations looking for help in assisting hurricane victims Firefighters respond to housefire in Metairie Five takeaways from the Maryland Senate debate Massive hole swallows 2 homes in Florida