Mayor Adams releases new fire safety order

Mayor Adams signed a new executive order to improve fire safety strategies in residential buildings. After the Bronx apartment fire took lives of 17 New Yorkers, many city officials were calling to make changes to prevent future fire incidents.

According to the press release, the executive order will increase communication and coordination between the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) inspectors to detect any safety violations and ensure safety compliance. 

Executive Order 12 includes several measures to improve the public’s response to fire emergencies. FDNY will launch a broad fire safety outreach campaign and work with New Yorkers of different age groups. The campaign will provide information about smoke detectors, self-closing doors, and fire response procedures.  

“Educating New Yorkers on fire safety is among the most important goals of the Fire Department - and one we take very seriously,” wrote FDNY Acting Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh in the press release. “These new partnerships will strengthen the work we already do and help us reach the neediest residents in all corners of the city on fire education and prevention.”

Mayor Eric Adams will work with City Council to release additional fire safety legislation. Adams calls to add sprinklers to all apartment buildings in the city and increase fines for landlords who falsely report curing a self-closing door violation. 

“We must work towards equipping every New Yorker and every building in this city with the tools to avoid an unspeakable tragedy like the one we saw two months ago,” said Mayor Adams. “Today’s actions are an essential step towards the goal of preventing this kind of tragedy from ever occurring again.”

Resources:

“New order from Adams boosts fire safety inspections at residential buildings after deadly Bronx fire,” by Aaron Ginsburg (6sqft, 2022)

“Executive Order 12,” (NYC, 2022)

“Mayor Adams Signs Executive Order Strengthening Fire Safety Enforcement and Outreach in Wake of Bronx Apartment Fire,” (NYC, 2022)