City apartment dwellers may soon be seeing stars and other shapes — which could be lifesavers in a fire.
New rules, set to go into effect next year, are part of an FDNY proposal mandating that symbols to assist the city’s Bravest be affixed to the outside of doors in buildings that have more than eight units on each floor.
Under the regulation, stars would mark main apartment entrances followed by the apartment number, while triangles would be used to identify secondary entrances.
The triangles would help firefighters know if they are trying to go through an old entrance that may be covered by drywall or blocked by furniture inside the unit.
The FDNY is expected to hold a hearing April 8 on those changes, which were approved by the City Council in 2013.
After the hearing, the department will review any suggested changes and is expected to approve them in May.
The symbols and apartment must be “plainly discernible” from the door’s background color, according to the proposal. The signage can be painted, screwed or adhered to the door, and be in contrasting colors, in a san serif typeface no smaller than ½ inch high.
Depending on the type of apartment, signs may be placed 12 inches from the floor at each entrance that has the apartment number.
“This is so when we are crawling on the floor, we can find the apartment,” said FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer. “We must have as much information as possible.”
The symbols would be placed 12 inches off the floors and must be waterproof, firmly affixed and glow or reflect light.
A second regulation would set the signs for multifloor units, such as duplexes and triplexes, requiring an additional symbol, an arrow, showing the direction of the other floors to which the apartment is connected.
Since areas of higher elevation get hotter in an apartment fire, the pointing arrows would ensure that firefighters are aware of the danger if they must enter through the top doors of a duplex or triplex, officials said.
The City Charter allows the department to make adjustments to the changes, as outlined in the 2013 law, and file a final draft.
The rules on single and multifloor requirements would go into effect by March 18, 2017, with the rest of the required markings completed by March 18, 2018.
The rules also would require new signage for exits and hallways.
Some noted that not everyone will welcome the changes.
“I can imagine the issues with co-ops and condos [will be over] aesthetics,” said Dan Margulies, executive director of Associated Builders and Owners, whose members develop, own and manage multifamily apartment buildings.
“We already prepare fire plans, and I would have to do more research to see if this level of regulation is reasonable. Clearly, the Fire Department’s desire to have more information is understandable. Not that it is a bad idea, but it will cost money.”
He added, “Obviously it will cost money both for the signage and the administration of the program, and this administration doesn’t want to give us rent increases to pay for anything.”
