The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore, Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani and Housing Commissioner Dina Levy have unveiled a new citywide outreach campaign to warn New Yorkers about common hazards during the winter months that can lead to fires.
Every year, as the weather gets colder, New York City sees a spike in the number of building fires, many of which are caused when New Yorkers turn to unsafe methods to stay warm in their buildings.
In the coming weeks, Department representatives will travel across the five boroughs to meet with tenant associations and other community groups to talk about fire safety, tenant and landlord responsibilities and steps to take if New Yorkers find themselves without heat or hot water during Heat Season.
FDNY Commissioner Bonsignore explained: “Fire safety education is a tool the public can use to prevent fires and keep themselves and their families safe.
“In the cold winter months, it’s especially important to understand how to stay safe, how to mitigate hazards and to have a fire safety plan.
“We are excited to partner with DOB and HPD to spread this message to the residents who need it most.”
Buildings Commissioner Tigani commented: “Winter is far from over and our message to New Yorkers is simple: stay warm, but do it safely.
“Unpermitted electrical work, improper use of space heaters and damaged extension cords can all pose a major fire safety risk.
“Since the beginning of the year, we have seen devastating multi-alarm fires across the city, many of them that could have been prevented.
“Working with our partners at FDNY and HPD, we are getting the word out to the public about how to stay warm and stay safe when the temperatures drop.”
This winter has been particularly cold in New York City.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an Extreme Cold Warning for dangerously cold wind chills that reached to 20 below zero degrees.
The days of frigid temperatures in January constituted the longest stretch of below freezing temperature days since 2018.
This startling cold weather brings with it an increased risk of fires and other emergencies.
DOB’s Community Outreach, FDNY’s Fire Safety Education and HPD’s Enforcement Units will be holding information sessions and offering building safety presentations at Tenant Association meetings throughout the remaining winter months.
In order to communicate these safety tips to the public and spread the word about fire safety.
