Councilor Urges New York City Require Public Address Systems in High-Rises

A New York City lawmaker is proposing a new fire-safety requirement for high-rise apartment houses after a playwright died trying to flee a blaze in his building.

City Councilman Corey Johnson told The Wall Street Journal the measure would require buildings taller than six stories to have emergency public-address systems. That’s so first responders and building managers can communicate better with residents.

The Fire Department had no immediate response.

Writer Daniel McClung was overcome by smoke in a stairwell after fleeing his 38th-floor Manhattan apartment Jan. 5, when flames swept through a unit 18 floors below.

Fire officials have said residents would have been safe staying in their apartments because of the building’s fireproof design. But some may not have known that.

Topics New York