by Ari Paul
The days when the Fire Code contained regulations about kites being flown near the fire alarm telegraph system and the operation of wagons ended last week in favor of a focus on specifications on rooftop access for firefighters and fire plans for construction sites to bring the code up to an international standard.
A Bit Out of Date
The Fire Code had not been revamped in nearly a century when the City Council May 28 passed a new Fire Code that was developed over the past four years. It is expected to be signed by the Mayor on June 3, when this newspaper hits the stands.
"This revision is going to make this a safer city and it's going to make it safer for our first-responders," Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said during a Council press conference. "There are many provisions of this code that relate to the conditions that we sometimes meet when we respond to emergencies."
Specifically, the new code calls for the elimination of rooftop obstructions and requires private developments to provide access roads for firefighters. It will also require construction sites to have fire safety programs in place, and will require a fire safety manager to oversee it.
"This is very important to now actually not just capture the building, but also capture construction sites and projects where we sadly know a lot of accidents and tragedies can occur," Council Speaker Christine Quinn said. "It will also require a fire safety manager who will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the fire safety requirements, which really means more eyes on the job to make sure we're meeting the safety standards we need to meet."
Linked to World Standard
The new Fire Code contains many of the same provisions in the International Fire Code. The Fire Department worked with the City Council as well as fire equipment manufacturers and construction experts to get their input on the new provisions. The Uniformed Fire Officers Association had previously expressed its support for the amendments to the code.
"All the fire unions weighed in on what they thought should happen," Ms. Quinn said.
Mr. Scoppetta added, "We got a lot of cooperation because we were so inclusive. That leads not only to this code but a lot of buy-in to the provisions, because I don't think there's anyone who didn't have an opportunity to be heard, and there were public hearings."
The Commissioner acknowledged that there were a variety of institutions in the city that were not regulated by the Fire Code, such as the Port Authority and the United Nations and its embassies, but said that the department was trying to expand its coverage of those places.
'Were Making Progress'
"There's a lot of diplomacy going on and the UN knows a good deal about diplomatic immunity when confronted with demands made on them, but I think we're making a lot of progress," he said, taking a veiled jab at diplomats who use their immunity to violate traffic laws.
The amendments to the code will also mean more permit requirements for building owners to store and use certain materials. It will also bring it in line, Mr. Scoppetta said, with the updated Building Code that was enacted in May 2007.
"The most importantly thing that strikes me as a lawyer and the Commissioner is that every three years we do a review of the code so that it cannot happen that it will go many, many years and only in response to a crisis does it get amended," he said. "It will be thoughtfully reviewed with a view towards keeping it current."
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