City Council looks to strengthen fire safety rules in wake of Bronx high-rise blaze
NEW YORK - The New York City Council introduced a slew of legislation Wednesday aimed at keeping residents safe during a fire.
It comes after the tragic Janurary fire in the Bronx that killed 17 people.
"We are taking the steps today in strengthening our fire safety protocols and procedures," said Councilmember Joann Ariola.
As CBS2's Elijah Westbrook reports, members on the council's task force on fire prevention, emergency management, and housing and buildings are calling the introduction of the new bills one of the most important efforts yet to prevent such tragedies as the one on Jan. 9 from happening again.
An investigation revealed a space heater inside an apartment at the Twin Parks North West sparked the massive fire that left 17 people dead.
"If the heater had a working thermostat, an automatic shutoff feature, it would've turned off and the fire would most likely not have started," said Councilmember Shahana Hanif.
Nine bills have been introduced Wednesday. They include:
- One that would reduce the amount of time for a landlord to correct a violation to keep or maintain a self-closing door
- Making it illegal to sell and electric space heater that doesn't automatically shut off when the desired room temperature is reached
- Building owners must maintain a minimum heating temperature of 62 degrees during the winter months
"We should do everything we can to make it easier for the city's homeowners, property owners, to make their families safer in their own homes," said Councilmember David Carr.
The introduction of the new bills follows numerous lawsuits which have already been filed against the housing companies, developers and investment groups associated with the building alleging negligence.
Twin Parks North West hasn't commented recently on the lawsuits or the fire itself, but the company did say it would continue to work with families to find other housing options for those impacted.
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