Funeral services were held this week for a fire that killed six people at 2441 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. in a 109-year-old building run by NYCHA. Chances for a fire occurring without warning is all too real, fires don’t discriminate whether you live in Trump Tower or Harlem.

FDNY 3 RCNY §505-01, “Apartment and Guest Room Identification and Directional Markings and Signs,” requires placement of signs for apartments and stairwells and in identifying multi-floor apartments so firefighters can find an apartment in smoke conditions that obscure the eye-levels signs. These signs help firefighters conduct search and rescue operations.

What’s most alarming is too many building owners continue to ignore sign requirements. Fines are a costly nuisance but this just scratches the surface of the real issue. The much more important issue owners and managers must realize is their liability exposure.  There is legal term known as “Negligent Failure to Plan.” Building owners and managers, even the individual tenants occupying buildings have a legal duty to exercise reasonable care in providing a safe residency. Building owners must understand that they will be considered negligent if they do not take the required steps to eliminate or diminish known foreseeable risks.

Be aware of all of your sign and notice requirements. Here’s a partial list of Required Signs & Notices (not including all FDNY required signs):

• 3RCNY505-01/0: Low-mounted signs on entrance doorjambs for apartments, stair exits and eye-level hallway corridor directional signs.

• Elevator landing sign: (“In case of fire, use stairs unless otherwise instructed.”)

• Certificate of inspection visits. Owners need to provide a frame that will accommodate a 6” x 9” inspection visit card, issued by the HPD inspector who visits. 

• Garbage collection notice. Display a tamper-proof sign with the current hours and method of garbage collection in the lobby. 

• Building floors. Identify the number of each floor with a sign that indicates floor number.

• Street numbers. The front of the building must display the address. 

• Carbon monoxide detectors sign. Owners must also post HPD-approved notices with carbon monoxide monitor requirements in a common area. Recently a Combined Notice for smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors and gas leak notice have been combined onto a single sign. 

• Housing information guide notice. Notify tenants about the availability of the New York City housing information guide by posting a notice near the mail delivery area.

• Service interruption sign. If making repairs or performing any work that will interrupt utilities for more than two hours, owners need to post a notice at least 24 hours before the service interruption. The information provided must be in both English and Spanish.

• Gas meter room sign.

• Boiler room access sign. HPD requires owners to post the name and location of the person who has access to boiler room keys. One notice goes in the lobby; another belongs on the boiler room entrance.

• The property’s janitor name/address. Owners must post a sign with the name of the janitor or housekeeper at the building entrance. The sign must include the person’s address, apartment number and telephone number.

• Disaster response sign. Residential buildings with any non-owner-occupied units must post a temporary notice with emergency contact information in the common area at the following times: Before a weather emergency, after a natural disaster, or after learning that a utility outage will last longer than 24 hours. 

• HPD Building Registration Serial number sign.

• NYC Smoke free Act Sign “No smoking or electric cigarette use.” These signs are posted in the stairs and other common areas of your building.

• Recyclable materials storage area signs. Informing residents where to bring recyclables, separation of metal, glass, plastic, and cartons and how to dispose of such materials, including rinsing requirement

• Sign informing residents about source-separation of paper and cardboard: How to dispose of such materials, including requirement to tie it into bundles.

In addition to all of the signs listed above, owners need to post contact information for specific functions, including emergency contacts for your building and for different city agencies.

Evan Lipstein is the president and owner of Hyline Safety Company, Manhattan, N.Y.