Rockland Fire Safety Proposals Target Lax Landlords, Code Enforcement

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland County officials held a news conference Friday to announce a bipartisan effort to bolster fire safety in local communities across New York with a package of bills for the state Legislature.

County Executive Ed Day, Fire and Emergency Services Director Chris Kear and County Attorney Thomas Humbach, made the announcement along with New York State Senators Bill Weber & Pete Harckham, and New York State Assembly Members Ken Zebrowski, John McGowan, Chris Eachus, and Karl Brabenec.

"We are all aware of the housing challenges this county faces. Challenges – which are decades in the making – and reaching a breaking point. One thing is clear … more needs to be done," Day said. "So since last summer my administration and I have been formally collaborating with our New York State lawmakers and their staffs to stand behind a package of fire safety bills that we believe can and will save lives."

County Attorney Thomas Humbach said the bills place the burdens of safety where they belong and ensure quick justice for violators.

The bills include a mandate for minimum staffing of building departments, provide authority for all municipalities to establish administrative courts to assess civil penalties, create a new criminal penalty that provides a deterrent against allowing properties to fall into massive disrepair, and assigning violations and fines to the property instead of the property owner so that fines cannot be avoided by the simple method of transferring the property to another, he said.

The bills are:

1. A4430 / S2986 State assistance to local governments for the enforcement of fire prevention and building codes using monies paid into the code enforcement account.
2. A2776 / S3458 Establishes the crimes of reckless endangerment of an emergency service person in the first and second degrees (Felony).
3. A3097 / S.4713 Authorizes municipalities in the county of Rockland to add unpaid housing code violation penalties, costs and fines to such municipalities' annual tax levy.
4. A5991/ S5436 Increases benefits for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers.
5. A6290 / S4560 Enhanced 911 - Communication enhancements by increasing state grant and reimbursements to $100 million for development, consolidation, or operation of public safety communications systems.
6. A5618 / S3354 Bill that if Secretary of State is notified that a municipality is not providing administration & enforcement of the Uniform Fire Prevention & Building Code that complies with minimum standards the SOS may investigate & conduct hearings into alleged failure of local code enforcement. Essentially codifies what SOS did in Spring Valley.
7. A8616 / S8598 Minimum staffing levels for agencies enforcing the minimum standards under the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code Act.
8. A9256 Civil Penalties resulting from a violation related to the condition or use of real property may be applied against another property in rem.
9. Aggravated Offenses Property owner can be charged with a Class D Felony if a person suffers serious physical injury as a result of a violation of a provision of the uniform fire prevention and building code.

“New York State prides itself in being number one in a lot of categories but we are now number one in the worst category possible," said James Hartwick, Commissioner with the Nyack Fire Department and Legislative Committee Head of the Rockland County Firefighters Association — fire deaths nationwide. "A lot of this is promulgated by the lack of code enforcement. A lot of this is promulgated by the lack of code enforcement.”

The state lawmakers underscored their commitment to work collaboratively to get the bills passed.

The safety of residents, firefighters, and all first responders is paramount, said Assemblyman John W. McGowan. "This legislative package enacts critical reforms such as increasing consequences for reckless actions and endangerment, bolstering state resources for fire departments and local municipalities, and enhancing protections for our first responder community. These initiatives send a resolute message of support for fire safety in addition to fostering a culture of compliance, accountability, and protection."

Rockland County officials have grappled with fire safety issues for more than a decade.

SEE:

• Rockland Fire Officials Seek Crackdown on Illegal Housing
• Yeshivas Drop Fight Against Rockland Fire Inspections
• Cited After Fire, Upper West Side Landlord Sues Rockland Code Enforcement Office
• 400+ Violations Found At Fatal Lake Street Fire Landlord's Properties
• State Reports On Problems At Fatal Nursing Home Fire In Rockland
• Report Shows NY Code Enforcement 'Hellscape' In The HV
• Site Of Apartment Fire Full Of Safety Violations: County
• Lawmakers Finalize Rockland Takeover Of Village Code Enforcement
• Rockland Firefighters, Officials Call for State to Intervene in Ramapo, Spring Valley Code Enforcement
• Fire Captain Says Local Yeshivas Unsafe: VIDEO