Stringer claims 800 buildings pose fire risks

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer charged that more than 800 city buildings are vulnerable to the kind of catastrophic fire that ripped through the former Deutsche Bank building last summer, killing two firefighters. Stringer called for a five-step plan that includes better cooperation with federal and state agencies. The former Deutsche Bank building was exempt from city building codes because it was owned by a state agency, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. Other exempt buildings include Grand Central Terminal and the UN Secretariat. Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to require federal and state buildings to comply with city fire codes.