"The safety of our children is a top priority, and
while school fire inspections are sometimes perceived as just another
administrative requirement, the truth is that lives can be endangered if they
aren't done right," Governor Cuomo said. "This law will help ensure
these inspections are handled by qualified and properly trained individuals, so
that students are protected and avoidable tragedies are prevented."
While current law requires schools to submit an annual fire
safety report which includes an inspection of school buildings, there is no
recourse for schools who fail to do so. The bill clarifies the current power of
the commissioner to deny the certificate of occupancy if a public school fails
to correct deficiencies following an inspection. If a private school fails to
comply with the requirement, the commissioner must inspect or request a local
authority to inspect the building.
Senator David Carlucci said, "School fire inspections
keep our children safe and protect our first responders. Our new law will
strengthen inspections by ensuring they are done in a timely manner by
qualified individuals who are held liable when problems are not corrected.
Thank you, Governor Cuomo for putting the safety of school children and staff
first by signing this bill into law."
Assembly Member Kenneth Zebrowski said, "Every school
building, public and private, should be safe and up to code. Unfortunately,
school inspection regulations have been untouched for decades, leading to an
outdated process where some school buildings can be left un-inspected and
unsafe. This bill overhauls the process to ensure every school is inspected, by
only qualified individuals, with accountability and enforcement. I thank
Governor Cuomo for his collaboration on these critical reforms."
