Must Tell FDNY of Floor Shifts

By ARI PAUL

Mayor Bloomberg signed a bill June 14 requiring high-rise building owners to notify the Fire Department if they change the numbering of a building's floors.

GAIL BREWER: Prime mover on bill.

"Introductory Number 496-A will help the Fire Department respond to fires, medical emergencies and other incidents," Mayor Bloomberg said in a statement. "When entering a building, it is important to know not only the total number of floors, but also the floor-numbering scheme, especially if it differs from any building plans the Fire Department may have."

City Council Member Gale Brewer introduced the bill after she learned that residents of a high-rise building in her district had their floor numbers increased by seven last October. Residents were livid when they discovered that the owner had not notified the department.

Crash Showed Danger

That same month, Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle crashed an airplane into a high-rise building on the Upper East Side.

"When the Fire Department responded to the building fire that resulted from the plane crash, Firefighters discovered that the actual floor levels varied from the floor designations," Mayor Bloomberg said. "Although the fire resulted in no fatalities, not knowing the floor numbering scheme of a building can hinder the Fire Department's ability to respond to high-rise emergencies in a timely and efficient manner."

High-rise building owners change floor numbers because they can charge more for apartments with higher floor numbers. They will now have two days to electronically submit new floor lists to the department upon change. The new law affects owners of buildings taller than 150 feet.

The department as well as the unions representing Firefighters and fire officers supported the bill.