Update 3/27/18: By March 30, 2018, all buildings and dwellings covered under Groups R-1 and R-2 must comply with the FDNY’s Signage Requirements.
Update 3/30/17: To help keep you in compliance, visit our sister company, Safety Supplies Unlimited, for their selection of signage and markings materials.
The new FDNY signage requirement, 3 RCNY §505-01, makes particular requirements for apartment and guest room identification signs along with directional markings and exit signs. All apartment buildings and hotels in New York City must comply with this new requirement for apartment door markings and other signs by March 30th of 2018. However, the first compliance dates for occupancies with multi-floor dwellings (duplex, triplex) units are much, much sooner – March 30, 2017.
This new safety law has set standards and requirements for the design and placement of entrance door room number and letter markings for dwelling units. The rule applies to all apartments, guest rooms and sleeping rooms in occupancy groups R-1 and occupancy group R-2 buildings as well as installing additional building lobby and hallway corridor directional signs and exit signs. The idea behind the law is that building owners mark apartment entrance doors with precise emergency markings that serve to assist firefighters, first responders and building occupants to identify apartment numbers in smoke conditions that obscure the regular (eye-level) apartment door numbers signs.
Related Course: Fire and Life Safety Director
The first compliance date of March 30, 2017, for the new signage requirement, will initially only affect a very small number of buildings. If your property contains any duplex or triplex units, the property is required to comply with the new signage regulation and must install these new markings by March 30, 2017. We strongly encourage all property owners and managers to review the full FDNY signage requirement by visiting the link below.
