This week our city suffered one of the worst fire disasters in recent history, when an apartment building on East 181st Street was engulfed in a 5-alarm fire early Sunday afternoon. This utterly heartbreaking tragedy took away the lives of friends, family members, and neighbors—many of them young people with their entire futures ahead of them. Now is the time for compassion and community, and as an agency, we stand ready to assist. We extend our compassion and support to the students and staff members who lost someone they loved.
The DOE will have counselors and social workers on hand at every school impacted by this tragedy. For any students who relocate, the DOE will assist with reassignments and new bus routes. Our schools are ready to help families during this challenging time. The FDNY has fire safety resources for families available at www.FDNYSmart.org. Please share this resource with your school community, along with this short public service announcement reminding them to Close the Door when evacuating from a fire (also available in multiple languages).
Request a Fire Safety Education Presentation for Your School
The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Fire Safety Education Program aims to continually educate youth and families with critical life saving strategies that focus on fire prevention. Classroom presentations can be coordinated and consists of:
To request a Fire Safety Educator for your school please complete the registration form by visiting https://www.fdnysmart.org/safety/
