FDNY — Fire Department

The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is responsible for fire prevention, fire suppression, and emergency response across all five boroughs. Beyond emergency response, FDNY has a critical regulatory role: enforcing the NYC Fire Code, conducting fire safety inspections, and issuing violations for non-compliant buildings.

For property owners and managers, FDNY compliance is non-negotiable. Fire code violations can result in vacate orders, building closures, insurance complications, and significant fines. FDNY data is an important component of property due diligence, particularly for commercial and large residential buildings.

FDNY enforces the NYC Fire Code across all occupancy types:

• Sprinkler system requirements based on building type, height, and occupancy
• Fire alarm system installation, maintenance, and testing
• Fire safety plans for commercial and large residential buildings
• Certificate of Fitness (C of F) requirements for operating fire protection equipment
• Means of egress — exits, stairways, corridors, and emergency lighting
• Hazardous materials storage and handling
• Construction site fire safety

Common FDNY violations include:

• Missing or non-functional sprinkler system
• Blocked fire exits or stairways
• Expired or missing fire safety plan
• Non-functional or missing fire alarm system
• Missing Certificate of Fitness for equipment operators
• Improper storage of flammable or combustible materials
• Failure to maintain fire escapes

FDNY violations are adjudicated through ECB/OATH. The agency also issues fire suppression, fire alarm, and sprinkler system permits.

FDNY violations carry penalties from $500 to $50,000 or more depending on severity. Immediately hazardous conditions can result in vacate orders, requiring full building evacuation until the condition is corrected. FDNY violations also affect insurance underwriting — carriers may decline coverage or increase premiums for buildings with fire code violations. Unpaid ECB-adjudicated FDNY fines become judgment liens.

RegWatch includes FDNY fire safety violation data in property profiles, cross-referenced with DOB and ECB records. Buildings with fire code deficiencies are flagged in our compliance scoring. Portfolio monitoring alerts building managers to new FDNY violations and upcoming inspection deadlines, helping maintain continuous compliance.