Int. No. 36

By Council Members Borelli, Carr, Yeger and Louis

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter and the New York city building code, in relation to requiring auxiliary radio communication systems in certain buildings in specific occupancy groups

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Subdivision a of section 528 of the New York city charter, as amended by local law 36 for the year 2014, is amended to read as follows:

a. Installation of security cameras, [and] door alarms and auxiliary radio communication systems. The department of education, in consultation with the police department, shall install security cameras and door alarms at schools and consolidated school locations operated by the department of education where the chancellor, in consultation with the police department, deems such cameras and door alarms appropriate for safety purposes. Such cameras may be placed at the entrance and exit doors of each school and may be placed in any area of the school where individuals do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The number, type, placement, and location of such cameras within each school shall be at the discretion of the department of education, in consultation with the principal of each school and the police department. Door alarms may be placed at the discretion of the department of education, in consultation with the police department, at the exterior doors of school buildings under the jurisdiction of the department of education, including buildings serving grades pre-kindergarten through five or a district 75 program. Such alarms should provide an audible alert indicating an unauthorized departure from the school building. For the purposes of this section, "district 75 program" shall mean a department of education program that provides educational, vocational, and behavioral support programs for students with severe disabilities from pre-kindergarten through age [twenty-one] 21. The department of education, in consultation with the fire department, shall install Fire Department Auxiliary Radio Communication Systems in accordance with section 907.2.13.2 of the New York city building code at schools and consolidated school locations operated by the department of education where the chancellor, in consultation with the fire department, deems such Fire Department Auxiliary Radio Communication Systems appropriate for safety purposes.

§ 2. Section 528 of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new subdivision e to read as follows:

e. The department of education, in consultation with the fire department, at the discretion of the chancellor, shall conduct a review and evaluation of schools and consolidated school locations operated by the department of education that would require the installation of Fire Department Auxiliary Radio Communication Systems under section 907.2.13.2 of the New York city building code at such schools and consolidated school locations.

§ 3. Section 907.2.13.2 of the New York city building code, as amended by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended to read as follows:                                                                                       

907.2.13.2 Fire Department communication system. A Fire Department Auxiliary Radio Communication System (ARCS), which shall be in accordance with Section 917, shall be required in all high-rise buildings, and each assembly Group A, business Group B, education Group E, factory Group F, high-hazard Group H, institutional Group I and mercantile Group M building that is an aggregate of 250,000 square feet (76 200 m²) or more on a single lot and where an ARCS is not otherwise required.

§ 4. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.

Session 12

NLB

LS # 3905

12/29/21

Session 11

GZ

LS# 13592