Fire Safety for NYC Coops and Condos
What Every Resident and Board Member Must Know
What's your biggest fear of living in an apartment building?
Sure, leaks from burst pipes are costly and inconvenient, but fires? Fires are terrifying. They can escalate quickly, cause significant damage, and put lives at serious risk. The good news? Fires are often preventable if you take proactive measures. Here’s what every co-op and condo resident and board member should know to protect their building from a disaster.
The Real Dangers of Fires in Co-ops and Condos
High-rise buildings, the hallmark of city living, come with unique challenges when it comes to fire safety. Why? Because fires in tall buildings are harder to fight, tougher to escape from, and can spread quickly. Here’s what makes them particularly dangerous:
1. Vertical Spread of Flames and Smoke
Fire in a high-rise can travel rapidly up or down through stairwells, ventilation shafts, or even the exterior façade. Once it starts moving, it’s difficult to contain. For emergency responders, accessing the upper floors in a high-rise is no easy feat, especially with crowded streets slowing their arrival.
2. Evacuation Complexities
High-rises can house hundreds—sometimes thousands—of people. During a fire, elevators are out of the question, leaving stairwells as the only escape route. Add smoke, crowded passageways, and the needs of residents with disabilities, and evacuation becomes a race against time.
3. Firefighting Challenges
Fire trucks are designed to reach only the lower floors, making it harder for firefighters to tackle fires higher up. Plus, layouts with long hallways or narrow corridors create additional obstacles, slowing response efforts.
Real-Life Examples That Hit Close to Home
The East Village Gas Explosion (2015)
This tragic event stemmed from an illegal gas connection at a restaurant, which caused an explosion that destroyed three buildings and injured over 20 people. The East Village disaster in NYC highlighted the severe dangers of cutting corners with gas line safety and the catastrophic consequences of neglecting proper inspections and compliance.
A Close Call in Manhattan (2023)
Right here in NYC, a rooftop fire in a 17-story UES co-op could have been catastrophic. A neighbor across the street noticed the flames at 2:00 AM and called 911 just in time. What caused it? A cigarette butt improperly discarded by a guest.
Upper West Side Gas Outage (2019)
A new owner renovated their kitchen and cut the gas line. They had neither filled out an alteration agreement nor notified property management, the board, or the Super. The fire was quickly contained, but it resulted in water damage in several apartments due to the FDNY containing the fire, and two years of no cooking gas.
Key NYC Regulations on Gas Explosions and Fire Codes
As a result of past accidents, New York City has strict regulations to ensure fire safety and prevent gas-related disasters. Understanding these rules is critical for co-op and condo boards as well as residents. Here are some key highlights:
1. NYC Fire Code (FC)
The NYC Fire Code outlines detailed requirements for fire prevention, including:
Regular inspections of fire safety systems, such as sprinklers and fire alarms.
Fire resistant self-closing doors.
Clear signage for emergency exits and evacuation plans.
2. Local Law 152
Local Law 152 of 2016 requires periodic inspections of gas piping systems in all buildings to identify and fix potential hazards. Key points include:
Inspections every four years for multifamily dwellings.
Immediate repairs for any identified leaks or risks.
Submission of inspection certificates to the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).
3. Local Law 10 and Local Law 11
These laws focus on facade safety but also tie into fire prevention by requiring the maintenance of fire escapes and exterior fire ladders, ensuring they remain operational and safe.
4. DOB Gas Authorization Rules
All gas connections and repairs must be performed by licensed professionals and approved by the NYC Department of Buildings. Unauthorized gas line work, as seen in the East Village explosion, is strictly prohibited.
These regulations underscore the importance of compliance and proactive safety measures to protect residents from preventable tragedies.
What You Can Do to Prevent Fires in Your Building
Being prepared for a disaster is a crucial step for condo and coop boards. Here’s how to keep your building safe and avoid disaster:
1. Communicate the Rules for Renovating
Clear and frequent communication with residents about the rules for renovating apartments. Empower the Resident Manager or Super to oversee all renovations to avoid accidents from illegal renovations. For new residents, the board interview is a perfect venue to talk about renovation plans with an emphasis on the alteration agreement.
2. Maintain Sprinkler Systems
Sprinklers can stop a small fire from becoming a big one. While old buildings are grandfathered in, they are required to have sprinklers in laundry rooms, mechanical rooms, and parking garages. Basically, any room that contains a fire hazard. Make sure your building’s systems are modern and well-maintained.
3. Improved Evacuation Plans
High-rise buildings should have well-designed and regularly tested evacuation plans that take into account the needs of all occupants, including those with disabilities. Stairwells should be clearly marked, wide enough to accommodate large numbers of people, and equipped with smoke control systems to ensure that they remain passable in the event of a fire. Elevators should always be excluded from the evacuation plan, as they can become death traps in the event of a fire.
4. Test the Emergency Lights Regularly
Does your building have a plan to test the emergency lights? The emergency stairs are required to have emergency lights that typically run on batteries. To ensure that the batteries haven’t expired, it’s best practice to have the staff test the emergency lights monthly and replacing them annually. If not, it’s time to make one.
5. House Rules
One 2023 fire narrowly missed out on being a major catastrophe. As it is, it ended up causing $500,000 in avoidable damage. What happened is someone discarded a cigarette butt that had not been put out. Four different House Rules were broken that led to this: 1) the individual accessed the roof deck after hours; 2) the individual was an unaccompanied guest- guests are not allowed to access the roof deck amenity unaccompanied at any time; 3) smoking is not permitted on the roof deck; 4) the cigarette was improperly disposed of.
Many people think House Rules can be a bother, but in actuality, they serve an important function, and in this case could have saved half a million dollars and potentially lives.
Why This Matters
Think of your building like a team—every resident and board member play a role in keeping it safe. By staying proactive and ensuring proper safety measures, you’re not just protecting property but potentially saving lives.
Take Action Today
Fire safety in co-ops and condos isn’t just about compliance with regulations—it’s about protecting lives and property. By staying vigilant and implementing proactive measures, you ensure that your building is prepared for the unexpected. Whether it’s maintaining sprinkler systems, enforcing house rules, or keeping your evacuation plan up-to-date, every step counts. Don’t wait until disaster strikes—now is the time to assess your building’s fire safety and take action. Reach out to your board, review your systems, and create a culture of safety for the peace of mind of every resident. Together, we can prevent a tragedy before it happens.