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Contact:
Office of Council Member Pierina Sanchez
Media team: d14media@council.nyc.gov
(347)590-2874

COUNCIL MEMBER PIERINA SANCHEZ PASSES BILL TO PROVIDE RAPID NOTIFICATION FOR SIGNIFICANT FIRES

New York City, NY- September 12th, 2024 – Today, Council Member Pierina Sanchez announced the passage of Int. 89-A, legislation that will bring transparency and clarity to the human side of our city’s fire and emergency response protocols, by providing elected officials and key local leaders with notification when these fires occur in their district, within three hours of FDNY’s response. In 2023, the Fire Department of the City of New York responded to approximately 2,000 all-hands fires throughout New York City, responses that in addition to benefiting from the rapid response of first responders, could have also benefitted from the efforts of local leaders to support displaced and affected residents in their communities.

“Displacement following a fire or structural problem in your home is one of the most disruptive experiences a family can have. Even with NYC’s multi-agency response, there still are often gaps in caring for our most vulnerable New Yorkers affected by these destabilizing events. For instance, under the current system, there is not a streamlined process for agencies to notify Council Members or members of the public when there is a significant, or “all-hands” fire, in their district. This bill takes a basic but critical first step toward a modern alert system: providing the public, via elected officials and local leaders, with notification when these fires occur in their district, within three hours of FDNY’s response. For constituents like mine in the Bronx, this legislation will offer reassurance that when fires strike, their local leaders will be ready to support them in real time,” said Council Member Pierina Sanchez, Chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings.

“This bill will allow us as Council Members to respond quickly to support those most affected and coordinate essential resources during these critical moments,” said Council Member Sandra Ung. “By receiving timely notifications, we can be on-site, offering help and guidance when it’s needed most. I know firsthand the difference this can make. Just over two months after I took office, an early-morning fire destroyed several businesses on Main Street in downtown Flushing near my district office. I was able to be on the scene within hours, connecting with the business owners, hearing their needs, and working to ensure they had the support to rebuild their livelihoods. I want to thank Council Member Sanchez for introducing this bill, and I look forward to seeing this legislation passed so we can better serve New Yorkers when they need us the most.”

Background:
NYC Council Members have introduced the following legislation relating to the City’s fire and emergency response protocols, two of which passed today:

  1. Int 6-2024 (Aviles): a local law in relation to tenant education and outreach on residential vacate orders due to damage caused by fires.
  2. Int 89-2024 (Sanchez): a local law in relation to notification of certain local officials of fires located within their jurisdiction.
  3. Int 607-2024 (Krishnan): a local law in relation to requiring tenant relocation services to the same community district, a nearby community district, or the same borough.
  4. Int 608-2024 (Krishnan): a local law in relation to requiring the department of housing preservation and development to increase tenant relocation services in the event of a vacate order.
  5. Int 609-2024 (Krishnan): a local law in relation to requiring the department of housing preservation and development to report on the special repair fund.
  6. Int 586-2024 (Dinowitz): a local law in relation to the designation of rapid emergency response centers in each community district.
  7. Int 749 (Gutierrez): a local law in relation to the creation of an office of residential displacement remediation and establishing a residential displacement remediation online portal.
  8. Int 750 (Gutierrez): a local law in relation to the timeframe to correct department of buildings violations, requiring additional documentation when an owner seeks to demolish a building, and expanding the certification of no harassment program.
  9. Int 751 (Gutierrez): a local law in relation to the creation of a residential fire emergency response guide.
  10. Res 307 (Gutierrez): Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation that limits the duration of time for which a landlord can collect payment from loss of rents insurance coverage without conducting meaningful repairs to an uninhabitable unit leased by a tenant to three months.
  11. Int 817 (Gutierrez): Local law in relation to a study and report on the feasibility of a low-cost and city-sponsored renter’s insurance program.

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