Fire and Life Safety Director operating a fire alarm system

Fire and Life Safety Directors and Their Role in Protecting Life and Property

In a city as large as New York City, there are few more pressing needs than the protection of life and property. To provide that protection, the city maintains a robust police presence, fire department, and other emergency response services. Unfortunately, however, those committed guardians of life and property are unable to be everywhere at once. Private sector personnel thus play an invaluable role in protecting the City that Never Sleeps. That’s why New York City relies on dedicated Fire and Life Safety Directors to help protect buildings and their occupants from fire and various other threats.

Why Do We Have Fire and Life Safety Directors?

Fire has long been a threat to buildings and human life, and that threat is especially pronounced in a city where millions of people live and work. To help manage that threat, New York City has implemented rules that require certain at-risk buildings to retain a competent safety director to coordinate prevention efforts and responses to fire and other disasters or threats. These professionals receive training to help them fulfill their missions, and work diligently to perform their duties and keep us safe.

What Do Fire and Life Safety Directors Do?

The Fire and Life Safety Director’s job is complex, but it all boils down to one core mission: protect building occupants and employees. There are a variety of duties that they need to perform to accomplish that goal, ranging from threat assessment and safety equipment inspections and maintenance to coordinating communications with emergency responders when disasters strike. These duties include:

  • Assessing threats and developing emergency response action plans to meet potential challenges. Threats can include everything from fire and other natural disasters to terrorist incidents and medical emergencies.
  • Organizing and conducting fire and other emergency response drills to ensure that building occupants fully understand what to do during disasters or other emergency situations.
  • Direct building occupant responses during any crisis, instructing them to either evacuate, shelter in place, or take other steps to limit their risk of harm.
  • Organize and maintain the building’s command center, communicating with the city’s official emergency responders to ensure a seamless response in a crisis.
  • Quickly respond to medical emergencies and contact emergency responders.

Who Can You Turn to for Fire and Life Safety Director Training?

Without the city’s invaluable safety directors, our ability to limit building damage and loss of human life would be severely impacted. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to provide would-be directors the Fire and Life Safety Director training they need at the ISS Fire Science Institute. Our certified instructors are committed to teaching you everything you need to know to properly serve as a qualified safety director, protecting the city’s residents and workers from some of the most serious risks that threaten their wellbeing. To learn more about how you can begin your career as a dedicated Fire and Life Safety Director, contact us today and discover why the team at International Security Services is recognized as New York City’s dedicated security experts.

Picture of George Kozhar

George Kozhar

George Kozhar is a respected security professional, licensed private investigator, and founder of International Security Services (ISS) - New York City’s dedicated security experts since 1999. Mr. Kozhar and his team provide a full array of private and business investigative services in the U.S. and overseas, VIP executive protection, armed and unarmed security guard services and training, and Fire and Life Safety Director training through the company’s Fire Science Institute.

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August 10th, 2022

Property Security Evaluation Report

Your Individualized Property Evaluation Report

Your site’s individualized property evaluation report contains information and analysis that you need to properly manage your site’s security needs. That information includes detailed analysis of the crime rate in your area, site access and parking protocols, and existing security infrastructure. Interior inspection includes analysis of emergency exits, fire suppression capabilities, and alarm infrastructure for emergencies. Exterior inspection includes analysis of structural defects, property lighting, and potential vulnerabilities in building access.

In addition to those inspections, our analysis also considered environmental factors, potential risks from older trees, outside property maintenance, and nearby crime that may overflow to the area. We also examined emergency response planning, including fire evacuation protocols and information supplied to residents about proper evacuation process.

 

Pressing Suggestions


We highly suggest a camera placement along this driveway, as the overhead cameras in the back parking lot may not capture all makes, models, and license plates of cars entering in and out based on the angle they are recording from. The best camera placement would be at the green circle closest to the sidewalk/street.
The common area is easily accessible, but based on the angle that cameras are set at the front lot, anyone can enter the basement common area concealing the side of their face that is facing the camera. This is not to say that the camera arrangement should be changed, but it is highly recommended to have coverage in this common area as the common area is on a lower floor not visible from the sidewalk.


However, a few fundamental problems exist when it comes to access control of the back parking (a big territory). Even though only two issues have ever occurred there, the wide-open access point to that lot may need to be corrected sooner than later as there is a significant uptick in crime in the 62nd precinct.

Furthermore, there are two fundamental surveillance blind spots along the driveway leading to the back parking lot and every common area.

Lastly, however unlikely it may seem, tenants should have resources and a physical guide for situations that may require an evacuation. Whether it be a flood or fire, each tenant should know how to use a fire extinguisher and where to evacuate to during a flood regardless of their proximity to a shoreline.


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