Fire Hydrants – The Watering Holes of The Concrete Jungle

Opening a hydrant without a permit is a violation that is punishable by a fine up to $1,000 or 30 days in jail. City fire hydrants may be opened by authorized employees of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Fire Department at any time. However, the DEP and FDNY have procedures and guidelines for how residential New Yorkers and commercial businesses can gain access to fire hydrant use for recreational and non-recreational purposes. Almost … <Read More>


Tenant’s Fire-Injury Claim Goes To Trial

Tenant sued landlord over fire in his rent-stabilized apartment that had allegedly originated from inadequate wiring. James Daly, the tenant of a rent-stabilized studio apartment located at 9 East 36th Street in Manhattan, suffered injuries from a fire that occurred on June 19, 2013. The apartment, built in the 1930s, was 700 square feet consisting of a living area, a gallery kitchen, three closets, a bathroom, and a hall connecting the gallery kitchen to … <Read More>


City Planning Approves New Location for Queens Firehouse

The City Planning Commission approved the relocation of a Rockaway Park FDNY station. On August 23, 2017, the New York City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on the FDNY’s application to purchase property located at 116-11 Beach Channel Drive to construct a new firehouse. Engine 268/Ladder 137 of the New York City Fire Department currently operates at 257 Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park, Queens. The three-story, 10,098-square-foot building was built in 1913 by … <Read More>


DOI Report Exposes NYCHA’s Failure to Maintain Fire Safety Devices

The Department of Investigation’s Report found that NYCHA maintenance workers were negligent in their duties to ensure smoke and CO detectors were functioning. On October 4, 2016, the Department of Investigation issued a Report finding that New York City Housing Authority maintenance workers frequently ignored their obligation to perform safety checks and often falsified documents to cover up their negligence. DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters stated in the Report that, “DOI has now found that … <Read More>


Council Approves Conversion of Henry Street Firehouse into Community Space

Community facility will provide on-site social services and improved access to need-based financial benefits.  On August 13, 2015, the City Council adopted a resolution to rehabilitate a vacant firehouse and convert it into a community facility.  The Department of Housing Preservation and Development submitted the Urban Development Action Area Project proposal to the City Planning Commission on March 31, 2015.  The four-story firehouse is located at 269 Henry Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood … <Read More>


Reconstruction of 19th century Fire Lookout Tower Approved

Because individual landmark will be accessible to the public, railings and other safety features will be incorporated into reconstructed tower, as well a stainless steel structural elements. On July 14, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered and approved an application to reconstruct the Watch Tower in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park, an individual City landmark. The four-story octagonal tower, built around 1855, originally served as a fire lookout tower for Northern Manhattan. It is the only … <Read More>