FDNY Relaxes Inspection Policy

This is a real bad idea. The FDNY is relaxing its inspection of buildings that are being built or deconstructed - providing two different schedules depending on the height of the building.

In a Nov. 5 memo outlining the department's "guidelines" for inspecting buildings under construction or demolition, FDNY Operations Chief Patrick McNally told firefighters to inspect buildings taller than 75 feet every 15 days, and buildings under 75 feet every 30 days.

Those guidelines contradict city rules that require all buildings under construction - regardless of height - to be inspected by firefighters once every 15 days.

It's being done because the FDNY doesn't have the manpower to handle the current requirements.

Instead of relaxing the schedule, how about adding the manpower necessary to address a serious health and safety concern. This problem is all the more relevant considering that the death of two firefighters can be attributed in part to the lack of proper inspections of the Deutsche Bank building that would have discovered serious problems including non-working standpipes and flammable materials being used to cordon off areas for decontamination work on the stricken building.