Page 13 - NY Cooperator December 2020

COOPERATOR.COM THE COOPERATOR — DECEMBER 2020 13 has become almost de rigueur in many newer buildings, as has fob or card access to apartment and amenity space doors. Dedi- cated, integrated security systems, data and cable, and wifi access are all becoming stan- dard issue, even in small buildings. Luxury isn’t limited to full-service buildings with extensive—and expensive—staffs; small can be luxury, too, if you can check all the boxes. Link strongly recommends ‘future-proofing’ your building by assessing both your current needs and future aspirations, and investing in the tech infrastructure to support them. While the technological revolution was changing the way we lived as apartment dwellers before the COVID pandemic start- ed, the arrival of the virus has both doubled- down on efforts to use technology to provide security, cleanliness, and ease for residents and emerged as a practical method to battle the silent enemy. Necessity has been the mother of invention. Providers have been quick to apply technology to the challenges of the pandemic and are integrating their technology to seek needed solutions. And boards and managers are getting on board; as Kravit says, whether or not there’s a global crisis on, “it’s our job to maintain the prop- erty and provide a positive environment for our residents.” n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for The Cooperator, and a published novelist. fire emergencies. Basically it’s ‘what to do’ in- structions, like: take your keys and close the door, don’t use elevators, and so forth. It now also contains sections on non-fire emergen- cies, like a hurricane or a steam or gas leak. Part of the law in New York City also man- dates that fire safety notices are to be put on the back of the front door of your apartment, the same way you see them in hotel rooms. These instructions deal with the possibility of fire both inside your apartment and outside it.” Bullock adds that co-ops and condos were exempt from the notice posting requirement previously, but a new amendment to the NYC statute will require co-ops and condos in New York to post notifications as well within the next month or so. Outside of NYC proper, Bullock says things get a bit more variable. “In New York City, an FEPG is required by law,” he says. “It’s a part of the New York City fire code, and extends to residential buildings of three families or more. In townhouse communities they are required when three or more units are attached, or clustered in a section; if only two are attached, the plan is not required. The reasoning behind this is that in truth they are not necessary \[in single- or two-family dwellings\]—residents just need to get out of the building. Outside the city in New York State it’s not required, but as a fire safety pro- fessional I certainly recommend having one. Multifamily buildings outside of New York FIRE SAFETY... continued from page 1 City should have them regardless. It is criti- cal for residents to know what to do in case of a fire.” Who Creates the Plan? Interestingly, Bullock says that even though the city requires an FEPG to be done for each building, it doesn’t say who has to do it. Technically, a board or manager could draw up their own, but according to Bullock, “the plan should be written by a fire safety professional. I have completed over 3,000 of these guides, and frankly, I’ve found that when done by someone other than a fire safety professional, 85% of the plans are in- complete or incorrect. For example, supers often do FEPGs incorrectly. That’s not an accusation against supers—it’s just that they don’t necessarily have the same knowledge base as a fire safety professional. Anyone can do it, but it’s clearly better to work with a pro- fessional. The board is responsible to have the FEPG prepared and to distribute it to the occupants and the building staff every three years in New York City. On the off years, a fire safety notice is sent out to each property owner,” which of course includes co-op cor- porations and condominium associations. Daniel Wollman, CEO of Gumley Haft, a New York City management company, explains, “Fire safety is probably the most important thing to plan for in multifam- ily buildings. While many buildings are fire- proof or fire resistant, you are still required to have a fire safety emergency plan.” He also concurs with Bullock on the im- portance of working with an experienced, qualified fire safety pro in mapping out your individual plan. “The fire plan is far too im- portant to be done by an amateur. In New York, there are an excessive amount of fire safety codes, and they change continuously. You need an expert who knows and under- stands all the changes. The companies that perform this service know the rules and regu- lations, egress issues, and how to make sure a building complies with the fire code. These companies are often run by former FDNY of- ficers, and they stay on top of all fire safety related issues.” Building Types & Fire Safety Plans First things first: “There is no such clas- sification as a ‘semi-fireproof’ building,” says Bullock. “Rather, buildings are classed as Cesarano & Khan, PC Certified Public Accountants PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO THE COOPERATIVE AND CONDOMINIUM COMMUNITY Reporting on Financial Statements • Tax Services Budgeting & Consulting • Election Tabulation Services For additional information, contact Carl M. Cesarano, CPA 199 JERICHO TURNPIKE, SUITE 400 • FLORAL PARK, NY 11001 (516) 437-8200 and 718-478-7400 • info@ck-cpas.com cesarano &khan1_8 use this_:cesarano &khan 4 7/22/15 4:59 PM Page 1 combustible or non-combustible. The most substantial difference and concern in resi- dential building fire safety is whether a prop- erty is combustible or non-combustible. The size of the building doesn’t really matter.” A combustible building won’t be more than five or six stories, explains Bullock— usually, they’re no more than five stories. In a non-combustible, or ‘fireproof’ building, safety depends on where the fire is, because that makes a difference in what actions resi- dents should take in the event of a fire. If it’s not near your unit, don’t leave the building, says Bullock. It’s safer to assess the situation, stay in your apartment, and wait for instruc- continued on page 14 directory.cooperator.com Your one source for all the businesses and services essential to your co-op, condo or HOA THE COOPERATOR DIRECTORY OF BUILDING SERVICES Search by location: Search Enter Category or Company and Location Above Add Your Business Search By Category Search Now