By Karla Schuster
Newsday
Copyright 2007 Newsday, Inc.
NEW YORK — Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday signed a new law that requires the Building Department to notify the Fire Department when a building is undergoing major renovations - legislation prompted in part by the deaths of two firefighters in a floor collapse last year.
“This bill will ensure that the brave men and women of the Fire Department will be thoroughly armed with accurate building information,” Bloomberg said before signing the bill into law. “There are no guarantees, but it improves the odds.”
The legislation, which was approved unanimously by the City Council earlier this month, sprang from discussions with firefighters after the August 2006 deaths of Lt. Howard Carpluk, 43, a 20-year-veteran from Yaphank, and rookie Firefighter Michael C. Reilly, 25, of Ramsey, N.J., city officials said.
The two men were killed fighting a blaze in a single-story building in the Bronx that had been renovated to repair damage from a fire in 2000. The floor of the building gave way, and they were buried under fiery debris.
“After that, we heard stories from firefighters about the challenges they face going into buildings without knowing what changes may have taken place inside,” said Councilman Miguel Martinez, chairman of the Fire Safety and Criminal Justice Committee.
Under the new law, the Fire Department must be notified of Alt-1, or alteration permits, which allow substantial changes to a building, such as adding a story or increasing the number of rooms.