The Jersey Journal
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Bringing all the illegal apartments in Jersey City — Mayor Jerramiah Healy estimates there are thousands — up to code would make life safer for the residents and firefighters, says Jersey City Fire Department Director Armando Roman.
“Look, there is a good percentage of them out there and we cite them accordingly, but if there is a plan to allow these building owners to convert their homes and bring them up to code for the respective units, then certainly there is no safety issue,” Roman said.
Roman said illegal apartments that don’t meet safety codes because they don’t have a second means of egress are dangerous for both the resident and for firefighters battling a blaze there.
“Why not look at ways to get the owners to comply with the letter of the law?” Roman said.
Officials say that building and code enforcement officers have seen cases where extension cords with multiple outlets are run from a legal residence to an illegal apartment, which could overload an electrical circuit and start a fire inside the walls.
The fire director noted that if an apartment is upgraded to meet all applicable building and fire code regulations, then all safety issues would be addressed.
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