The advent of winter and the holiday season also brings the highest rate of home fires, a leading cause of building insurance claims. Not surprisingly, more than one-third of home fires occur between December and February. Whether you’re a homeowner…
New York City building owners with outside fire escapes have two choices regarding these external means of egress: keep them maintained or remove them. Fire escapes are a classic feature of New York City architecture, romanticized in books, plays and…
All Hallows’ Eve began as an ancient Celtic harvest festival, marked by parties and feasts. The feasts have been replaced by mountains of candy, but one part of the festival remains: everyone wants to dress up and have fun. Here’s…
With cooler weather approaching, it’s the perfect time to catch up on home or building maintenance before the weather gets too cold. Fall is a time for more than raking leaves. Use this fall maintenance checklist to reduce energy costs…
As we’ve done previously, this article highlights updates in the latest edition of New York City's Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)’s housing information guide, The ABCs of Housing. Owners of multiple dwellings (residential buildings of 3+ units) should…
It isn’t just sharp knives and overindulgence in cooking wine that makes kitchens dangerous places. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home injuries. From 2012-2016, the organization reported,…
Distinguished Programs recently published a white paper on Common Fire Risks and Prevention Tips Every Community Association Should Know. The short guide offers great advice for landlords and their tenants. After all, fire is the leading catastrophic insurance claim, with…
Earlier, the New York City Council passed a series of fire safety bills in response to the December 2017 kitchen fire that claimed 13 lives in a Bronx apartment building. The first fire safety law regulates the types of smoke…
Whether you use candles during a power outage, as part of a holiday ritual, or for ambience, exercise special care. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) reports that, unlike other causes of home fires, candle fires have increased. In the…
Earlier this month, Kidde recalled nearly 40 million fire extinguishers. The recall includes 134 models of fire extinguishers with plastic handles and eight models with plastic push-button Pindicators. Affected models can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge, failing to…