Following deadly blaze, council to mull fire law revamp

Corey Johnson and 500 West 43rd Street
Corey Johnson and 500 West 43rd Street

In the wake of a fire that tore through a Hell’s Kitchen building last week, killing one man and injuring his husband, City Council member Corey Johnson and plans to unveil a new bill today that would tighten fire safety measures in the city’s residential high-rises.

Twenty-seven-year-old Daniel McClung was killed in the January 5 blaze at the building called the Strand, at 500 West 43rd Street. The legislation Johnson proposes would require a public address system in buildings built before 2008. The public address system would allow an incident commander to advise residents inside their apartments on the best course of action in the case of a fire.

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“Without the information, it’s more likely people make a mistake, leave the apartment, and die in hallways and stairways,” retired deputy fire chief Vincent Dunn told ABC News.

Many buildings built before 1999 lack a sprinkler system as well. [ABC News]Mark Maurer