We`ve talked about New York`s renaissance dozens of times on this blog; But mostly we`re talking about the dramatic changes that have occurred in the city since then. The law requires owners of buildings larger than six and a half storeys (i.e. six storeys plus the basement) to hire a licensed professional – architect or engineer – to inspect fire escapes every five years. For buildings of six storeys or less, there are no such specific requirements, other than the fact that owners are required by the code to keep their buildings in good condition. “Basically, every building should be safe at all times,” says Hrubecky. “Of course, that`s not always the case.” However, if the structural integrity of fire escapes is something that keeps you up at night, you can at least console yourself with the fact that emergency exits are rare. “If you just want to look at the data, we have less than two incidents a year that result in injuries or fatalities,” says Jill Hrubecky, a senior engineer for the New York Department of Buildings` investigative engineering services. (This statistic only includes incidents where the DoB was called, not incidents where only the police were called, as may be the case when someone slips and falls.) If you live in an apartment with a fire escape, follow the instructions above. This would ensure your safety.
New York Habitat conducts its own inspections and only lists apartments with legal and well-maintained fire escapes, but feel free to take a close look at the overall condition of your fire escapes. Many are impressively ornate art objects on heritage buildings, such as the Puck Building in SoHo. They also adorn dozens of five- and six-story buildings in some of the most picturesque parts of the city, such as Brooklyn`s Park Slope neighborhoods, Carroll Gardens, and Brooklyn Heights. Look for places where paint comes off the fire escape. This is a bad sign – it means that rust can get under the paint and potentially wear on the metal. It is also a sure indicator that no maintenance has been performed. The fall ladders were designed to be retracted to prevent unwanted burglars from entering the building. If the ladder is still extended to the ground, either due to inattention or malfunction, notify your landlord. It`s not illegal for the ladder to remain extended, but discuss it with your landlord if it`s a safety concern for you.
If there is no ladder in sight, you should definitely inform the owner. At some point in New York City`s future, the question of whether fire escapes are safe or not could become contentious. The 1968 amendments to the Building Code essentially made it illegal to construct new buildings with exterior fire escapes; Instead, fireproof interior stairs equipped with sprinklers are preferred. And architects like Lombardi prefer to remove them altogether in situations where the law allows it. In those distant days before air conditioning, fire escapes could be a welcome, if sometimes dangerous, place to sleep outside. In winter, New Yorkers also kept coolers on their fire escapes. These days, fire escapes are still a popular place for backyardless residents to grill on small grills or sit with a good book and sunbathe in the summer. Others transform them with colorful potted gardens filled with flowers and herbs. However, most alternative uses such as barbecuing and gardening are illegal.
With so many adaptations possible, it`s easy to take fire escapes for granted or forget their original purpose: a way to escape a fire! Thank you for this article. I know it`s hard to find an order that spells out what`s allowed (as opposed to what`s not allowed), but how can I support my claim that I can sit or stand on the fire escape as long as I don`t leave anything outside or make noise? Or is it the burden of the one who complains of having carried his case? The requirements for external emergency exits were dropped in accordance with the 1968 Building Code. New York law at the time of their application stipulated that there must be direct access to an outside emergency exit from any apartment above the ground floor. Since this access is almost always through a window, you need to make sure that the window opens quickly and easily. Mosquito nets are allowed, but only if they are opened vertically or horizontally. If the exit window is covered by metal grilles or a security barrier, the device must be approved by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), which requires the bars to be detachable from the inside without a key. There are two parts. You don`t want wobbly railings, and you certainly want handrails. It is far too easy to fall off a fire escape and seriously injure oneself, and missing handrails and loose railings are a recipe for disaster. You can`t even have an air conditioner in the window that leads to an emergency staircase because, as Rovins says, fire escapes are for buildings that only have a staircase and no other exit. So Kate and Leo are just a big comfortable fire hazard. Sometimes a window air conditioner is observed installed in the window, which leads to the fire escape.
This is by no means acceptable, as the building authority has given clear instructions in this regard. Even if you don`t have an extra window, you`ll need to resort to another alternative such as a portable air conditioner. Many New Yorkers leave on their fire escape, especially since private outdoor spaces are hard to find here. Legally, you can sit or stand on a fire escape, but you should think twice before setting up your home office. And the fire department really doesn`t want you or your belongings there. The FDNY Home Safety Guide states that you must keep your emergency staircase free of obstacles at all times. Accidents happen often: last month, a man suspected of taking his fire escape because of smoke fell to his death. It is a 2 bedroom, two bathroom apartment built in the 19th century. It has pre-war apartments such as high ceilings, brick walls in each room and a fire escape. The loft can be accessed by a private elevator with key to enjoy the view of Crosby Street. “You can only use the fire escape escape from a fire,” says Hilary Rovins, a broker at Coldwell Banker Warburg.
“You can`t legally use it as a patio or store anything – including plants, bikes, etc.” Although good maintenance and decent painting are mandatory, most fire escapes were built before World War II (pre-war period), and more than a few were installed on much older buildings. If the structure looks fragile or if there are weak and/or broken steps, this is not legal. The general rule is that nothing should touch an emergency staircase except your feet, so fire escapes should also be free of natural debris. Open gratings on emergency escape platforms and stairs are intended to prevent snow or ice accumulation in winter and leaf accumulation in autumn. The law also states that snow and ice are removed to maintain a safe escape route. New York City is full of peculiar phenomena – rickety fire escapes; 100-year-old subway tunnel; Air conditioners that are dangerously supported in window frames – this can scare off even the pickiest city dwellers. But should they? Each month, we`ll explore and demystify these NYC-specific fears, letting you know what you should worry about and what fears you can just let go of. First, here`s a little story about fire escapes in New York City: They were originally installed in the 1860s after several deadly residential house fires. After the terrible fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, the city tightened building codes and required fire escapes to be wrought iron and properly attached to buildings. I would be more concerned about faulty steps than the full fire escape after walking a few at work. It is not illegal to stand or sit on your fire escape, hence its popularity as a social space during summer festivals. Note that partying on your fire escape is strongly discouraged by the FDNY and other authorities, as accidents can occur.
Lombardi is not alone in his concerns. For decades, New Yorkers who wanted a small balcony, a little more storage space, or a miniature garden have crept up their fire escapes and thought, hey, I wonder if this thing is really structurally sound. And there may be good reason to worry. In February this year, one person was killed and two others injured when a piece of fire escape sniffed a building in Soho and collapsed seven storeys. Stories of people climbing fire escapes and falling to their deaths – one such incident occurred earlier this month – also occur with some regularity. Is your building – and your fire escape – an antique? If so, the “balcony” may not be the safest place to relax. Look at the material it is made of. The first fire escapes were made of wrought iron, which becomes less stable over time. The most recent ones are usually made of steel. It`s a spacious suite with a fireplace, massive walk-in closet, and spa-style tub. It is also a pre-war house on the top floor of the building, which has been recently renovated.
You can experience unobstructed Western exposures from the comfort of your living room through floor-to-ceiling windows. Private space is pure luxury in New York and people make up for the lack of space with a fire escape. While there are no restrictions on sitting and chatting here, you can`t set up a desk on a fire escape. As the guidelines suggest, it is mandatory to keep the fire escape staircase free of obstacles, and there is no compromise on this.