I, Patricia Lockhar=
t, am a
teacher at PS 57. I have been working with a group of former 2nd grade
students to pass a city bill into a law. After the tragic death of one of=
my
student's baby brother during May of 2000, we began a campaign to obtain
safety gates on fire escape windows. These gates are made to open in the
event of a fire while preventing crime and falls.
During 2003/4 my fo=
rmer
students and I sent out petitions to all NYC schools. We plan to continue=
to
testify at the NYC Council, NYS Assembly & Senate, and even US Senate
& Congress. We also plan to have the opportunity to see the Mayor,
Governor and even the President sign the bill into a law as well. Once th=
is
bill is passed it will be called Ibrahim's Law in memory of the baby.
The 5th grade stude=
nts
continued to send close to 1900 Safety Gates petitions to all NYC schools.
They worked on the Gates Campaign website and wrote letters to the Mayor.=
Ms Lockhart went to=
Washington
to meet with Secretary Martinez on April 24, 2003 to request funding for
Safety Gates on fire escape windows for all New York City HUD subsidized
housing developments.
Ms Lockhart also in=
vited
several speakers to visit the class which included:
NYC Public Advocate=
Betsy
Gotbaum
HUD (Housing and Ur=
ban
Development) Representatives
2002/2003 - The Saf=
ety Gates
Bill was introduced to the City Council.
April 2003 - The PS=
57 fifth
grade Safety Gates Campaign workers started sending out petitions to all =
NYC
schools. Speakers from the Young Democrats and Republicans conducted a
discussion and lesson with the 5th grade campaign workers.
January 2004 - NYS =
Assembly and
Senate bill introduced. Students revised petitions and worked in the
community to obtain signatures. The NAACP (National Advancement of Colored
People NYS) and BPW (Business and Professional Women’s Clubs NYS) passed
resolutions to add the gates bill to their legislative agenda 2004/5.
2005- Students went=
to Albany
to meet with the Housing Committee Chair Office, Governors Office and the
Department of State Representatives. Revisions were suggested.
2005/6 NYS - The bi=
ll was
revised and reintroduced again (NYS Housing Committees)
2006/7 Reintroduced=
into the
NYC Council and NYS Assembly and Senate
In response to the =
tragic death
of Ibrahim , HUD changed its Federal Policy to allow safety gates on fire
escape windows during May of 2000. Charles King of HUD came to our 5th gr=
ade
graduation to announce this change.
Ms Lockhart, housin=
g management
and the class were able to write grants to obtain $400,000.00 in HUD fund=
s to
provide safety gates on fire escape windows, 2 technology computer labs a=
nd
security camera's for 4 buildings in Clifton during 2002/03
From 2003 to 2006 A=
bdul was
given several Volunteer Awards by Mayor Bloomberg for the Gates Campaign =
and
Community Service.
From 2004 to 2006 A=
bdul
continued to receive numerous awards and news coverage for his work on the
Gates Campaign. (Dr Martin Luther King Youth Humanitarian Award NYS- Gov
Pataki, NYC Proclamation, NYS Assembly and Senate Awards, Black History Y=
outh
Award- Borough President) He was featured on NY1 News, SI Advance Newspap=
er,
Ch 4,2,7 News, People Magazine, Parade Magazine, Highlights Magazine and
Scholastic News etc….
Between 2000 and 20=
06, Ms.
Lockhart also received media recognition and numerous awards related to h=
er
work on the Gates Campaign…
Between 2004 and 20=
05, Abdul
won $25,000 from the Volvo For Life Hero Contest for his Safety work on t=
he
Gates Campaign. He donated the winnings to charity.
HUD officials and R=
ep from
Congressman Vito Fossella’s office came to visit the Parkhill computer
centers and inspect the safety gates installed as a result of the half
million dollar grant obtained by the Gates Campaign
We the undersigned would like to=
take
this opportunity to thank you for supporting the "Ibrahim's Law"
bill. Ibrahim was a sixteen-month-old baby who accidentally climbed out of
his fire escape window and fell to his death. We implore the state Assemb=
ly,
Senate, and Governor of NY to approve the law to mandate the installment =
of
legal Fire Department approved safety gates on fire escape windows in
multiple dwellings, which can open in the event of a fire. This device is
needed to protect families with young children under the age the age of t=
en
and is intended to reduce crime and prevent falls. This will only show the
New York state that Ibrahim's short life and death was not in vain=
It came to my atte=
ntion that
the whole New York City should have gates on all apartment windows. All f=
ire
escape windows should be included because my baby brother fell from a fire
escape window and died. It was a day in May of 2000. I questioned myself =
was
it my fault? Why did this have to happen? The management of my building w=
as
given money to put gates in windows, but they didn't until later on. New =
York
City shouldn't have to lose toddlers for this reason. Now that I am in the
fifth grade. I will sign petitions and I will get people to sign them.
Hopefully, this will keep that tragic day in May from happening again. Ms
Lockhart and my family will work very hard for this.
I think that build=
ings all
over should have safety gates on every window. I think that because my
friends little brother Ibrahim crawled out a 5th floor window and began
playing on a fire escape and fell to his death. This was a tragedy for
everyone. Just think a 16 month old baby falling out a of a 5th floor win=
dow.
An even bigger tragedy for the people who were actually eyewitnesses. No =
one
wants to go through that tragic moment again. So put safety gates on our
apartment windows.
I have complaint =
to make. I
still didn't get a gate for my window. There was a big incident with my
classmate’s brother. My classmate’s baby brother fell out of the window. I
have a baby sister and two cousins of mine. I would hate for them to fall=
to their
death because window gates were not installed. So for the safety of every=
one
in the State of New York I ask that you grant this wish.
We need the gates t=
hat we
promised for the fire escape windows. New York needs these fire safety ga=
tes
to keep children from falling out of the windows and fire escapes. Famili=
es
have lost their loved ones due to the lack of these gates. This is why we=
need
these gates or fire escape windows.
We need to g=
et gates for
everyone because parents might lose their babies. Their babies might die =
from
these dangerous unprotected windows. Babies should be very safe. We need =
to
get gates for everyone because babies might get hurt and fall. They need =
to
be safe and protected. I think that everyone should have gates because
people's babies shouldn't have to die and they should have a future.
We should have the=
se safety
gates because people are going to die by falling out of these windows. Ma=
ybe
one day another person might die again. Some people don't even have safety
gates yet. That's why this law is really important.
We should have saf=
ety gates to
protect little children. Little children will not be able to open to get =
out
without and adult. Older children and adults will be able to open them
easily. No child should be on a fire cape. It is very dangerous. The gates
will save lives. We need the gates to protect lives.
We should have win=
dow gates on
all apartment windows because it will prevent people or babies from falli=
ng.
The babies will be safe from the windows. Window gates are important so
little babies like Abdul's brother wont' fall out. This is a way from pre=
venting
children from falling out the windows. This is a serious problem.<=
/td>
We need to have th=
ese gates!
We should have them because it can prevent babies from sudden death from
falling out the window. It can also keep families safe from robberies,
kidnapping and murder at night. We should have these gates for all these
reasons. We would we would appreciate it a lot. Thank you.
I think we need th=
e gates
because no more babies could fall from the windows. If my little brother
would have fallen from the window I would put a piece of cardboard in the
window. If I see someone fall from the window I am going to be scared too=
.
I think we should =
have gates
on our windows because it will help protect small children from climbing
outside. Another reason is because we don't need everyone dying the way
Abdul's baby brother died. The one and only way we can prevent children f=
rom
falling is to have window gates put on all of New York's apartment buildi=
ngs.
Thank you!
I think we should =
have gates
in the Park Hill windows because I don't want any baby, kid or adult fall=
ing
out of windows. We should care about things like this because we don't wa=
nt
this to happen again.
I'm sure you know =
the incident
with Abdul's little brother falling out of a fire escape window to his de=
ath.
I'm sure you also know the safety gates on the windows is serious. You can
die at a young age. Please put the gates on the windows for all New Yorke=
rs!
By Council Members =
Lanza, Oddo
and McMahon, Boyland, Fidler, Gentile, Gerson, Katz and Avella
A Local Law to amen=
d the
administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requirements =
for
window guards on fire escape windows.
Be it enacted by th=
e Council as
follows:
Section 1. Chapter =
one of title
17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by addin=
g a
new section 17-124 to read as follows:
§17-124. Window gua=
rds on fire
escape windows. Notwithstanding any other local law or regulation, the ow=
ner,
lessee, agent or other person who manages or controls a multiple dwelling
shall provide, install, and maintain, a window guard, of a type deemed
acceptable by the fire commissioner, on the windows of each apartment in
which a child or children ten (10) years of age and under reside, and on =
the
windows, if any, in the public halls of a multiple dwelling in which such
children reside.
§2. Any person who =
violates the
provisions of this section, or the regulations promulgated hereunder, sha=
ll
be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dol=
lars
or imprisonment for up to six months or both. In addition, any violation =
of
this section shall constitute a civil violation subject to a penalty of n=
ot
more than five hundred dollars per violation.
§3. This local law =
shall take
effect 30 days after its enactment.
Some people install=
security
bars or gates on their apartment windows to prevent intruders from enteri=
ng
their home. However, in the event of a fire, doing so may trap you and yo=
ur
family, as well as inhibit firefighter rescue.
If your apartment b=
uilding has
an outside fire escape, only New York City Fire Department approved secur=
ity
gates that open without the use of a key may be installed on the fire esc=
ape
window. This requirement also applies to any secondary exit window on the
grade level. Installation of an unapproved gate is strictly prohibited in
NYC. FDNY approved gates do not require the use of a tool, a key, or spec=
ial
effort to open. When purchasing a security gate be sure that it is stampe=
d or
labeled with the FDNY approval number. After installing an approved secur=
ity
gate, make sure everyone in your home can operate the release devices.
Remember to keep th=
e fire
escape window clear of all obstructions such as furniture, plants and air
conditioners.
Falls are the leadi=
ng cause of
injury for children.
In 2002, more than =
2.3 million
children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for
fall-related injuries. Children ages 5 and under accounted for near=
ly
half of these injuries.
Children are more l=
ikely to die
or be severely injured from window-related falls than falls associated wi=
th
any other product.
The majority of win=
dow
fall-related deaths (70 percent) occur during the spring and summer month=
s.
Window falls tend t=
o occur in
large urban areas, low-income neighbourhoods, and deteriorating and
overcrowded housing. Children living in apartment buildings have the
highest number of window fall incidents – five times more than children
living in residences.
For the city apartm=
ent dweller,
securing a home against crime can be a challenging one. Many apartments, =
due
to architectural design, location, etc., may provide burglars with access
routes to an apartment. Fire escapes, terraces and windows are of particu=
lar
concern. Apartment dwellers should be aware of these concerns and take so=
me
extra crime prevention measures.
As with any home, a=
n apartment
should be equipped with doors, locks and frames that are strong enough to
prevent forced entry. However, to guard against what may be a more
sophisticated arsenal of burglary tools, it is recommended installing a
highly pick resistant cylinder with a guard plate.
Apartment dwellers =
should take
extra measures to secure all accessible windows, such as in a basement, f=
irst
floor, top floor and fire escape windows, which may be susceptible to for=
ced
entry.
To guard against fo=
rced entry
it is recommended securing double hung wood windows with a simple and
inexpensive method known as "pinning". To pin double hung windo=
ws:
At each top corner of the inside sash, drill a hole through the inside sa=
sh and
three quarters of the way through the outside sash at a slightly downward
angle. Insert two 5/16 diameter eyebolts, one on each side of the window.=
The
bolts should fit loosely enough in their holes so that they are easy to
insert and remove so as to provide easy egress in the event of an emergen=
cy.
However, the pinning method is not suitable for all windows and may damag=
e or
void warranties on thermal pane windows. The safest way to secure a window
leading to a fire escape is by installing an approved gate commonly known=
as
"ferry" or 'safety" gate, which is operated by a latch. Ne=
ver
use a padlock or combination lock on this type of gate. An improper gate
installation can prove deadly in the event of fire.
While terraces may seem out of reach, =
they
must also be secure. If air conditioners are in accessible areas secure t=
he
units to the window or wall opening to prevent it from being pushed in or
pulled out.
For further informa=
tion call
the Crime Prevention Officers P.O. Michael Vetere at 718-784-5404.=
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