Concerns of Fire Hazards in Temporary Shelters for Asylum Seekers as Winter Approaches

According to unofficial figures, almost 4,000 new asylum seekers arrived in the five boroughs in the first week of October, with tens of thousands more still under the care of city authorities.

As winter approaches, the risk of fires in temporary shelters is a concern.

“In case of fire, you know that you have to run and if there is only one door and that many people… It is a good place so far,” said migrant Javier Polo about the shelter.

Polo.

“Let nothing ever happen here and let it be what God wants, but if it is strong in the case of a fire, things are strong because there are many of us who stay there,” said Giovanni Ferrer, another Venezuelan migrant.

The Fire Department and Emergency Management Department announced safety inspections at:

Agnes Academic High School en College Point, Queens

St. John Villa Academy, the Richard H. Hungerford School and a shelter on Hylan Blvd in Staten Island

Touro College and Midtown

The shelter on Elton Ave. in the Bronx

St. Brigid School en el East Village;

and the Creedmoor psychiatric center in Queens with its thousand beds for immigrants, among others.

Sites that do not comply with safety regulations could receive eviction orders. For many New Yorkers, the reviews come late.

“They wanted to have a space for them and not put them somewhere else, so I don’t think they were too worried about that,” Ada Acevedo said.

“They should have taken measures before. I spend every day walking my dog ​​here and I always see people who pretend that there is no one in there, everyone is out here,” said Fernando Ormeno.

The fire department is also inspecting facilities overseen by the Department of Homeless Services.

Leases for some of these locations are scheduled to expire at the end of the month or early November.

2023-10-13 16:56:00
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