Category Archives: New Regulation

New NYC Elevator Signage Regulations

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Imagine a firefighter running into a building with a fire on a high floor and he can’t find where it is located.  The same holds for emergency service personnel who are responding to the report of a man with a heart attack.  In both instances seconds can make a difference, says Ira Meister, president and CEO, Matthew Adam Properties, a leading New York property management firm.

Elevator signage helps prevent confusion for firefighters and emergency personnel

To reduce the uncertainty, chaos and lost time, the New York City Department of Buildings and the Fire Department have implemented recommendations from the real estate community that improve elevator signage in residential and commercial buildings. .

“The new regulations help eliminate any confusion for firefighters and other emergency service personnel when responding to a call” says Meister The signage identifies the various elevator banks so responders can more quickly find the bank where assistance is needed.

“This regulation is a good idea,” Meister says.  He explains that the new regulations require buildings to have both a letter and number to designate elevators.  Elevator banks will be identified by a letter and the individual cars by a number. “For example, this makes it easier for firefighters to immediately find the elevator bank where the fire is located,” Meister says.

The signage must be posted at a designated level, usually the street floor that best serves the needs of the firefighters or emergency personnel and then on every floor at all entrance points to the elevator bank.  The lettering must be at least 3 inches high. Also, all elevator equipment will have the same designation.

“This regulation is being enforced and buildings that have not complied to date should do so as soon as possible to avoid receiving a notice of violation,” Meister says.

Requirements to Eliminate #6 Oil and Reduce Air Pollution

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In 2011, New York City, as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s campaign to make the city healthier, adopted new heating oil requirements to reduce the dangerous air particles that contribute to respiratory and other illnesses, says Ira Meister, president and founder, Matthew Adam Properties.  While not as well publicized as the mayor’s campaign to eliminate super-sized sodas, the impact of the oil regulations is being felt significantly more by New York City co-ops and condos.

The law calls for the elimination of #6 oil – the dirtiest and most pollution causing oil – by 2015.  By then, buildings must convert to lighter #4 or #2 oil or natural gas.  Newly installed boilers would have to use the lighter #2 oil or natural gas or their equivalent and by 2030, #4 oil will be phased out.

“In recent years, even before the new city regulations, buildings were converting to natural gas, which is cleaner, requires less maintenance and in recent years has been significantly less costly then oil,” Meister says. Some buildings, depending on their configuration, have switched to dual-fuel options where either oil or gas can be used, depending on the price.

 

Many buildings have yet to switch to #4 or #2 oil and gas

“We have noticed, as we talk to boards of buildings we do not manage, that many properties have not started the process of complying with the new regulations,” Meister says.  Since July 1, 2012, buildings have had to convert to a cleaner fuel before their three-year certificate of operations expires.  All properties must be in compliance by January 1, 2015.

“Some buildings have been lax in rushing to the deadline,” Meister says.

The least expensive short-term solution is to convert to #4 oil, which will probably require a tank cleaning and some minor boiler changes.  Converting to natural gas can be much more costly and depends on whether the boiler is compatible with gas and the need, very often, to line the chimney as the thinner carbon monoxide produced by natural gas can seep through cracks in the lining. Another concern is whether the building is in a zone where Con Ed supplies natural gas.

 

The City has streamlined the permit process, allowing permits to be obtained in days instead of weeks

To encourage early compliance, the city streamlined the approval process by reducing the number of documents requires to be filed. Licensed boiler installers can submit one unified form to city agencies and certify that the fuel grade conversions were documented and the necessary work was properly performed without the need of more complex design submissions. This will reduce the estimated upgrading cost per boiler to $7,000 from $10,000. “Additionally,” Meister says, “the city streamlined the permitting process, allowing permits to be obtained in days instead of weeks.”