Fire Safety Plans and Notices

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Overview
A fire safety plan is a safety booklet that is intended to help people protect themselves in the event of fire in a residential building. A Fire safety plan contains:

  • Basic fire prevention and fire preparedness measures that will reduce the risk of fire and maximize safety in the event of a fire.
  • Basic information about the building, including the type of construction, the different ways of exiting the building, and the types of fire safety systems it may have.
  • Emergency fire safety and evacuation instructions in the event of fire in the building.

The plan will be delivered upon moving into a dwelling unit and once per year thereafter.

A fire safety notice is a one page fire safety notice that serves to inform building occupants, building service employees, and visitors as to the evacuation and other procedures to be followed in the event of fire in the building. The fire safety notice will be posted on the inside of all dwelling unit doors and in common areas.

 

Applicability
In accordance with the NYC regulations "Residential Fire Safety Plans and Notices" (3 RCNY §43-01), this update applies to all residential buildings at Weill Medical College of Cornell University (WMC).

 

Responsibilities
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) will ensure that the fire safety plan regulations (including fire safety notices) are followed in accordance with 3 RCNY §43-01, create new plans as needed, and update plans when material changes in building conditions that affect the content of the fire safety plan. The new and updated plans will be forwarded to Housing and Engineering & Maintenance for distribution.

Housing will distribute a fire safety plan to each dwelling unit in J-2 residential buildings, or an occupant thereof and to all Housing staff assigned to a residential buildings. The plans will be distributed yearly during Fire Safety Week (the first week of the month of October of each year) and within sixty days of any material change in building conditions affecting the content of the fire safety plan, other than temporary repairs or maintenance work. Material changes to building conditions affecting the fire safety plan must be forwarded to EHS. Housing must post fire safety notices in accordance with the procedures listed below. Also, a copy of Part I of the fire safety plan (the building information section) must be posted with the fire safety notice in the common area. Such posting must be in the same form as the fire safety notice.

Engineering and Maintenance will distribute a fire safety plan for each building to each employee that is assigned to a Housing building. The plans will be distributed yearly during Fire Safety Week (the first week of the month of October of each year) and within sixty days of any material change in building conditions affecting the content of the fire safety plan, other than temporary repairs or maintenance work.

Tenants and other occupants of dwelling units in residential buildings and spaces will allow the Housing Department access to a dwelling unit, upon reasonable notice, for purposes of compliance with this section.

Project Managers notify EHS of any material change in building conditions affecting the content of the fire safety plan.


Procedure

Fire Safety Plan

Must be

  • Substantially similar in format to the sample fire safety plan included in 3 RCNY §43-01, and include all of the information contained in the sample fire safety plan;
  • Printed as a single-sided or double-sided document, stapled or bound, in full-page or booklet format, on not smaller than 8½ inches by 11 inches nor larger than 8½ inches by 14 inches in size;
  • Printed such that all text is clearly legible, using contrasting lettering and a type size not smaller than eleven (11) point Times New Roman or equivalent; and
  • Printed in the English language.

 

Distribution

Each distribution of the fire safety plan must be documented by a United States Postal Service certificate of mailing or other official proof of mailing, or, if hand delivered, by receipt signed by an occupant of the dwelling unit or the building service employee, or by sworn affidavit of the employee or agent of the owner who actually delivered the fire safety plan, identifying the date and manner of delivery and the dwelling units to which it was delivered or the names of the occupants who received it.

The plan will be delivered

  • To each dwelling unit in the building or space, or an occupant thereof, and to each building service employee.
  • On an annual basis, by hand delivery or mailing a copy by first class mail, during Fire Safety Week (the first week of the month of October of each year).
  • Within sixty days of any material change in building conditions affecting the content of the fire safety plan, other than temporary repairs or maintenance work.
  • To a new occupant, by providing a copy at the time the lease, sublease or other agreement allowing occupancy of the dwelling unit or other space is presented to the occupant for signature, or, if there is no written agreement, not later than at the date the occupant assumes occupancy of the premises.
  • To a new building service employee that is assigned to the specific building(s), by providing a copy to such employee not later than the date upon which the employee actually commences to perform duties at the premises
     

Fire Safety Notice

Must be

  • Substantially similar in format to the sample fire safety plan included in 3 RCNY §43-01, and include all of the information contained in such sample fire safety plan.
  • Printed on a single-sided sheet of paper framed under a clear Plexiglas cover or laminated with a firm backing and designed to be affixed by mounting hardware or an adhesive, or printed on a matte-finish vinyl adhesive-backed decal not less than three (3) mils in thickness, using thermalprinting, screenprinting or other permanent, water-resistant printing technique.
  • 5½ inches by 8½ inches in size (excluding any frame), except that fire safety notices to be posted in the common area of the residential building or space may be up to 8½ by 11 inches in size;
  • Printed such that all text is clearly legible, using contrasting lettering and a type size not smaller than ten (10) point Times New Roman or equivalent.
  • Printed in the English language.

 

Located

  • On the inside surface of the front or main entrance door of each dwelling unit in the building or space.
  • In a conspicuous location near any common mailbox area customarily used by the occupants of the building or space, or if there is no common mailbox area, in a conspicuous location in or near the elevators or main stairwell.
  • Each fire safety notice must be securely affixed, by mounting hardware or an adhesive, to the door or wall such that no part of the fire safety notice (excluding any frame) is lower than four (4) feet from the floor, nor higher than five and a half (5½) feet from the floor.
  • A copy of Part I of the fire safety plan (the building information section) must be posted with the fire safety notice in the common area. Such posting must be in the same form as the fire safety notice.

 

Maintenance and replacement

  • Housing must maintain the fire safety notice in the common area and must prepare and post any amended Part I (building information section) of the fire safety plan within sixty days of any material change in building conditions requiring such amended fire safety plan.
  • Housing must replace any missing or damaged notice on the dwelling unit door prior to any lawful change in occupancy of the dwelling unit.
  • Housing must replace any missing or damaged notice at any other time upon written request of the tenant. The tenant may be charged the reasonable cost of replacement.

 

Record Retention
The last five annual fire safety plans for each building will be kept on file at EHS and must be available upon request of the FDNY.

References
3 RCNY §43-01, Entitled "Residential Fire Safety Plans and Notices"