A lawmaker is pushing for mandatory public address systems in residential buildings after a deadly inferno at a Hell’s Kitchen apartment building last week.
Councilman Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan) announced a bill Monday requiring buildings taller than six stories to have the public address systems in stairwells and hallways to give residents instructions during a fire — telling them whether to flee or stay put.
Daniel McClung, 27, was killed fleeing his 32nd-floor apartment after a blaze started in a unit on the 20th floor at the Strand on W. 43rd St. His husband, Michael Cohen, was badly injured and remains hospitalized.
Cohen is recovering but doesn’t know his spouse perished in the blaze, said his best friend, Jason Mitchell, 33.
Fire officials have said the two men would have been safe if they had stayed in their apartment in the fireproof building. Instead, they tried to leave through a smoke-filled stairwell.
“Many people don’t know if they live in a fireproof building, or whether or not they should stay or go during an emergency,” Johnson said.
“He wasn’t given proper instructions when the fire broke out, and like many people he just tried to flee and escape.”
Johnson said he also planned to push for periodic fire drills in residential high-rises.
He said the new rules would apply to thousands of buildings across the city, including NYCHA buildings.
Javier Morgado, 36, a friend of the couple, backed the measure on what would have been his pals’ six-month wedding anniversary.
“They didn’t know they were running right into danger until it hit them,” he said. “We’re dealing with a tragedy and trying to make something good out of it.
“This story is resonating so much with so many people in New York City only because you can see yourself in that very situation,” he added.
Former FDNY Commissioner Thomas Von Essen said first responders face an uphill battle against residents’ instincts to flee the flames.
“This gentleman would be alive today if he had stayed in his apartment,” he said.
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