Report: Stuy Town full of fire code violations

Here's a story that merits widespread coverage... The Stuyvesant Town Tenants Association's new survey finds fire code violations in all but four of the complex's 110 buildings. Tenants Association volunteers recently inspected the buildings to check on things like building maintenance and cleanliness and what they found were a whole lot of fire code violations. Cut to the report:

"The survey, conducted in late spring by Tenants Association volunteers, discovered instances in all but four buildings in which fire doors do not close properly, in violation of Fire Code requirements that fire doors be self-closing. The TA has brought the survey results to the attention of Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano and Sean Sullivan, General Manager of ST/PCV.

In addition to the findings on the doors, the TA’s volunteers noted buildings that were missing floor indicator signage in hallways, on stair doors, and in stairwells; standpipes that were locked and chained; piping passing through holes larger than the pipes themselves creating a path for fire and smoke to travel; and what are unsafe and non-code-compliant window safety panes, such as plastic, in the fire doors themselves."

A FDNY Fire Inspector described the failure of self-closing doors as “extremely dangerous, because it could fail to stop the spread of fire, and especially smoke, to other areas of the structure."

To make matters worse, they found evidence of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use in the stairwells as well as indications that people have been using stair landings to relieve themselves and their dogs.

Anyway, at least they have a snappy new cafe!

Read the full report from the Tenants Association here:
Over 580 Fire Doors Are Found Not To Close In Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village

Also:
Building study reveals fire code violations (Town & Village Blog)