Emergency Action Plan New York City

Here are some Combined Fire Safety / Emergency Action Plans For Commercial High Rise Buildings In New York City.

Who Must Have A Combined Fire Safety / Emergency Action Plan?

The Rules of the City of New York (3 RCNY § 06-02) require certain high rise commercial office buildings to have an FDNY accepted Combined Fire Safety / Emergency Action Plan.
The properties covered under this rule are as follows:

Office buildings and spaces that meet the definition of occupancy group B set forth in the New York City Building Code (New York City Administrative Code §27-253) that are:

  • Greater than six (6) stories in height, or
  • Greater than seventy-five (75) feet in height, or
  • Have more than one hundred (100) occupants above or below street level, or
  • Have more than five-hundred (500) occupants in the entire building, or
  • As otherwise required by law or regulation, or
  • As ordered by the Fire Commissioner.

Why Have A Combined Fire Safety / Emergency Action Plan?

Aside from the obvious need to comply with legal requirements there are a number of benefits to having a current and well-rehearsed Fire Safety or Emergency Action Plan.

First and foremost is ensuring the safety of your employees and tenants in the event of a fire or other emergency.
A staff which is well trained and practiced in fire safety procedures will respond quickly and effectively in an emergency thus reducing risk to occupants and minimizing damage to the facility.

Second, many insurance companies either require properties to have a Fire Safety / Emergency Action Plan or will issue discounts to those that do.

Third, having a Fire Safety or Emergency Action Plan may reduce the legal liability of owners or managers in the event of a fire or other emergency in their building.

What Does A Combined Fire Safety / Emergency Action Plan Entail?

In order to comply with NYC regulations for a Combined Fire Safety or Emergency Action Plan a property governed by this rule must:

  • Have a written plan which establishes the actions that will be taken in responseto a fire or non-fire related emergency.
    This plan must be submitted to and accepted by the NYC Fire Department.
  • Have a Fire Safety / Emergency Action Plan Director or Deputy Fire Safety or Emergency Action Plan Director with proper Certificate of Fitness from FDNYon duty at all times when the building has more than one hundred (100) occupants
  • Conduct fire drills semi-annually.
  • Conduct emergency action plan drills annually.
  • Conduct required training for building employees.
  • Conduct required training for building floor wardens and deputy wardens.
  • Maintain Fire Safety / Emergency Action Plan log books
  • Post and maintain staffing charts on each floor of the building.