STORY BY
STEPHEN VRATTOS
Photo by Julie Weissman Lieutenant Mike Kozo from
the Fire Safety Education
Unit out of Ft. Totten stopped
by North Shore Towers Thursday
night, May 10, to enlighten residents
to the proper procedures to take in
case of a fire in their building and
what steps they should follow to
prevent a fire happening in their
own homes. Kozo, who grew up in
Floral Park, attending High School
here, once served as a caddy on the
NST Country Club golf course one
season, so he was familiar with the
monolithic trio which stands upon
the highest point in the Borough of
Queens. Both Kozo and General
Manager Glen Kotowski were introduced
by 1st Vice President of
the NST Board, Fred Chernow. Kotowski
began with a few important
and pertinent fire safety remarks
specific to NST.
A Fire Safety Notice should be
affixed to the inside front door of
every resident’s apartment. The
laminated, single sheet, approximately
the size of a Playbill cover,
outlines important information on
what to do in the event of a fire.
Residents should already have one
in place, but anyone can receive a
new plastic fire safety notice from
Security. All that is required is for
residents to fill out a form to verify
they’ve received it. The notices
are conveniently designed with
adhesive strips for easy affixing.
These notices should never be
taken down.
North Shore Towers residents
should take solace in the fact their
apartment is located in a fireproof
building, constructed with generous
amount of cement between every
floor and wall, creating structural
strength, but more importantly, protection
against fires. The homes are
designed to contain fires far longer
than buildings erected today, giving
responders plenty of time to arrive
and handle the problem before it
can spread.
Unless a fire is in your home, DO
NOT LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT,
unless directed to do so by the
proper authorities. Also, it is of
paramount importance to keep the
front door firmly shut. The fireproof
design on NST only works if doors
are shut, preventing the fire from
spreading quickly, which the oxygen
and airflow gained from an open or
ajar entry facilitates. This applies to
windows, as well… Close them, if
there is a fire in the building. If you
see or smell smoke coming through
the aperture along the bottom of
the front door, dampen a towel and
wedge it underneath. If the fire is
in your home, get out immediately,
but SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND
YOU. Not doing so puts your life
and those of your neighbors’ in
jeopardy.
For these reasons, doorstops and
doormats are not to be attached to
entries or placed before them, as
they may prevent the door from
securely closing during a fire event.
Kotowski alerted the audience of
the Management’s decision to have
all doorstops and mats removed.
They are aware of whose doors
employ such and Maintenance will
proceed systematically removing
them in the coming weeks. This
is a life-and-death situation and
Management appreciates the residents’
full cooperation.
Lt. Kozo reiterated Kotowski’s
assessment of NST, adding that
most homeowners won’t even be
aware of a fire elsewhere in their
Recent seminar teaches residents
what to do
building, due to its secure fireproof
engineering. He also stressed not
using the balcony as a supposed
safe-haven, if the fire is in the home.
Fire ladders can only reach about 8
floors up, so chances are they will
not be able to reach you. The only
option: GET OUT!
What may have surprised many
attendees is the greatest cause of
fires in home, not from cigarettes,
but rather kitchen fires from heating
cookware left unattended.
Now a Smoke-free complex, NST
residents need not worry of the
former anyway, though the recent
incident with a fire caused by the
tossing of a smoldering butt down
a trash chute may belie that. When
cooking, always wear an oven mitt,
preferably a long one for added protection.
Do not take the mitt off, if
you walk away from a lit stove. The
mitt will remind you, there is food
cooking, so you’ll be more apt to
hurry back to the oven.
Always keep a lid and box of
baking powder nearby. The key
ingredients in baking powder is the
same used in fire extinguishers, so
it is ideal for smothering a grease
fire. But never keep baking powder
in the fridge, unless it is in addition
to another stored elsewhere, as the
cold temp will clot up the powder,
decreasing its efficacy in case of a
pan fire. NEVER USE WATER TO
DOUSE THE FLAMES IN A PAN.
Buy an extinguisher for your
home. ONLY USE AN ABC
EXTINGUISHER WITH A “UL”
SEAL. Keep the extinguisher in
the bedroom, not the kitchen or
elsewhere, so it is handy if awoken
by fire in the middle of the night.
Always aim for the base of a fire.
Extinguishers shoot 8–10 feet, so
you need not get too close. When
utilizing, remember the mnemonic:
PASS. Pull the pin, which otherwise
prevents the trigger from
shooting; Aim, always at the fire’s
base; Squeeze the trigger; and
Sweep side-to-side. GET OUT
AND CALL 911.
All NST apartment should have
an active smoke alarm installed by
Maintenance. The ideal models last
10 years and are tamper-proof—
they cannot be opened to remove
the batteries. They are also designed
to detect both smoke and carbon
monoxide. The latter is invisible,
cannot be seen or tasted. The only
way to know of a carbon monoxide
leak in your home is with a detector.
Detectors must be placed on the
ceiling or approximately 6 inches
from the ceiling and should be
tested monthly by simply pushing
central button on the surface. Call
Maintenance to get a new smoke/
carbon monoxide detector installed
for $25, which is what Maintenance
pays for them.
Any heating or cooling appliances—
ovens, microwaves,
refrigerators, air conditioners,
etc.—should be plugged directly
into the wall, never a power strip,
even a surge-protected one. The
amount of power needed for such
devices exceeds that provided by
the strip, causing overheating and
fire. Never use an extension cord
for these appliances either. And
never remove the ground prong
from a three-pronged plug—VERY
DANGEROUS! Use an adapter.
In case of evacuation, have a
planned meeting spot, a target area
to assemble, so everyone knows of a
person’s safety or not. Fires double
every 60 seconds, so don’t stop to
grab anything other than people.
GET OUT!
And always remember: CLOSE
THE DOOR!
Fire Safety
Lt. Mike Kozo displays the type of fire extinguisher every NST resident
should have in their homes, ABC Fire Extinguisher with UL rating
June 2018 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 3