NEW YORK STATEOFFICE OF FIRE PREVENTION

AND CONTROL

Joshua D. Smith

Fire Protection Specialist

Fire Prevention Bureau

OFPC

• Office of the Department of State

• Headquartered in Albany

• Offices also in Buffalo and Syracuse

• James Burns - State Fire Administrator

• Daniel Caffery - Deputy SFA

• Broken into six bureaus, each with a Bureau Chief, and several deputy chiefs

Bureaus

• Arson

• Fire Services

• Special Services

• Hazardous Materials / WMD

• Academy of Fire Science

• Fire Prevention Bureau

Fire Prevention Bureau

• Primarily responsible for enforcement of the Building Codes and Fire Code of New York State

• Perform inspections for various state agencies such as the Office of General Services, New York Power Authority, Department of Environmental Conservation, Gaming and Wagering Board

• Campus Safety Program

Campus Safety Program

• Resulted from the Seton Hall fire that killed three students

• State Education Law Section 807b

• OFPC has the responsibility to perform fire inspections at ALL degree issuing institutions throughout NYS

• A total of just over 300 public, private, and community colleges

Campus Safety Program

• Also have the responsibility to establish training standards

• Student safety programs

• Facilities ITM training

• Many more training programs to come

A Few Statistics

• 16,000 violations written against colleges statewide for 2003

• 65% were the result of egress issues– blocked fire doors, access hallways– inoperable fire doors or egress systems– lack of training

Electrical Issues

• Also accountable for a large percentage of violations

• Mostly extension cord issues

• Extensions cords used as a form of permanent wiring is prohibited

• The use of multi-plug adapters is prohibited

• Surge protectors must be plugged directly into a wall outlet

Compressed Gas Cylinders

• Must be properly secured

• Cannot be secured with Ace bandage tied to the handles of desk drawers

• An improperly secured gas cylinder can present a dangerous and potentially deadly situation

Lifestyle Changes

• Do not prop open doors

• Do not ignore fire alarms

• Properly secure all gas cylinders

• Do not use extension cords

• Good cooperation between staff, students, and administration will ensure a safe environment for all