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The Fine Blue Line
When the Dutch settled in what was then called “New Amsterdam,” a man named Johann Lampo patrolled the trails and paths of the area, keeping the peace and watching for fires. Little did Lampo know that he was the first in a long, honored line of law enforcement officers of New York City. Read More
Who Goes There?
Who is in your building? Do you know? And most importantly, do you care? Read More
A Necessary Amenity
Many years ago, when I was living on the Upper West
Side, a neighbor of mine was notified over his scratchy intercom system
that a UPS carrier had a package for him. Without hesitation, he buzzed in
the deliveryman and opened his front door. Instead of receiving a new
package, the neighbor was met by an intruder pointing a gun. Tragically, my
neighbor was shot and killed.
Read More
Planning for Emergency Evacuation
It is essential that co-op and condo boards or management companies have an emergency plan in place for situations like fires, power blackouts, hostage situations, or terrorism. While good planning is a major factor in keeping residents safe, hardware like emergency lighting and signage also play a key role in emergencies. To that purpose, let’s examine the various products, technologies, and laws relating to the safe evacuation of your building in the case of an emergency. Read More
Ain't Misbehavin'
Living in a co-op or condo building is a lot like living in a small town. When everyone abides by the rules, life flows along smoothly. If that stops, though, and one person disrupts the flow, those smooth waters turn rough and trouble can ensue, causing hardship for everyone involved. Read More
Safe and Sound
It’s official. According to an analysis of FBI data by the Associated Press, New York is the safest big city in the United States, with roughly one crime reported for every 37 residents per year. Read More
Better Safe Than Sorry
Even though crime statistics are lower in New York City today than they have been in decades, the fact remains that in an urban metropolis such as this, crime is a reality. It only takes one break-in or personal assault to focus everyone’s mind on crime prevention and their own personal safety. Even buildings that already employ a doorman, a super, and maintenance staff may still consider hiring a security guard. Read More
Visitors and Guests
In a real ad posted on craigslist, a popular website for free classified ads, someone is looking to rent out their 22nd Street apartment in Manhattan. It’s a 625-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment with a doorman, air-conditioning, laundry room and more. No pets are allowed in this apartment. It doesn’t say why this person wants to sublet—it could be because he is traveling for an extended period of time, or perhaps he has been relocated due to his job, but he needs someone to move in and continue the payments and care of his dwelling. Read More
Safety in Numbers
The transformation of New York City from one of the nation’s perceived most dangerous places to one of the safest, if not the safest, big cities in America is an old story by now, but it still continues to amaze both longtime New Yorkers and visitors alike. It seems like only yesterday that the crack epidemic was in full swing, the subway was considered unsafe at night, muggings and apartment break-ins were commonplace, drug dealing went on openly in city parks, entire blocks were boarded up or burned down, and every subway car was defaced by graffiti. Read More
Working Smart
Safety first” is good advice on any job, but it is especially appropriate for the varied and dynamic tasks assigned to co-op and condo building staff. Whether checking furnace valves, sealing minor plumbing leaks, keeping the lobby floors shining or getting that flickering light in the ninth-floor hallway fixed, the potential for accident or injury exists in just about any task, no matter how innocuous. Preventing those problems before they arise, however, is the key to a safe workplace—one in which management is fully invested in worker safety, and employees feel adequately protected. Read More
The First Line of Defense
Feeling safe in one’s home is one of life’s most basic requirements. In an urban residential building, it sometimes takes a lot more than locking the doors and making sure your stove is turned off before going to bed to achieve that feeling. Even though they aren’t trained security experts (and don’t necessarily have to be) the people who work in your condo or co-op building play an indispensable role in the building’s safety and emergency-response system. Read More
Are You Ready?
Tragedy and crisis seemed to be the theme for 2005, with tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and mudslides causing havoc and uprooting the lives of millions all over the world. Of course, we’d all like to think that if such an emergency ever hit New York, our city, state and federal governments would be prepared with an efficient and well-tested evacuation plan—but co-op and condo boards should know better than to just rely on that. When it comes to planning for emergencies, most likely it’s your board, management and staff who will be the first responders if a crisis does develop. Read More
Gearing Up
Twenty years ago, Lisa Collier Cool was sleeping in her 14th floor apartment on West 72nd Street in Manhattan when her dog began barking. Not wanting to get up, Lisa tried to go back to sleep, but the dog was adamant and continued. Lisa awoke to find her room filling with black smoke. Rushing to escape a potentially deadly situation, she opened her front door, but the hallway was even smokier. She decided to stay put until the fireman came to the apartment, which they did a short time later, rescuing both Lisa and her dog. Read More
Ready for Anything
Time was when New Yorkers rarely thought twice about disasters except when they watched movies such as “Airport,” “Earthquake,” “War of the Worlds” and “King Kong.” Read More
Surveillance Equipment in Your Building
For decades, the most desirable residential buildings were those with visible security systems, liveried door staffs, concierges, elevator operators, keyless locks, state-of-the-art intercom systems and video cameras. Over the course of the last five years, as our war on terrorism has unfolded, these additional security measures have become the norm for all residential structures, and are no longer strictly the domain of high-end complexes. Read More
On Guard!
First and foremost, a superintendent's role is definitely one of leadership. Keep in mind that the building staff are not security guards. However, steps can be taken to better guard each building. Please note that these steps should be already in place due to common sense. As always complacency does take over and precautions sometimes fall through the cracks. Building security has always been a matter of cooperation between building staff and residents. Read More
Protect and Prepare
Few things are more precious to people than feeling safe and secure in their homes. We all want to feel protected from crime and prepared for any emergency that might arise, and in urban co-op and condo communities, the issue of security and emergency preparedness is particularly important. Read More
Caution: HAZMAT
When we hear the term "Hazmat" - shorthand for "hazardous materials" it usually conjures images of guys in silver moon-suits and respirators, arriving on the scene of a tanker truck collision or industrial emergency involving dangerous waste materials or pathogens. The fact is, however, that there are plenty of substances and products in our own buildings that fall under the hazmat classification, and all to often we dismiss the dangers residing alongside us. Read More
Putting Out the Fire
All it takes is a single spark. Fires can destroy property and destroy lives in a matter of minutes. In 2003, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fought more than 27,000 structural fires and the New York City Red Cross responded to an average of eight fires a day, providing care and shelter to victims. Fires can happen anywhere and to anyone. Often, though, these tragedies can be prevented with proper planning, knowledge and a bit of common sense. Read More
Taking a Closer Look
Security has always been a concern in New York City’s co-op and condo buildings. Whether you’re a manager, board member/shareholder, or unit owner in an urban co-op or condo, your building isn’t just your home; it’s a community, and a safe haven for residents and their families. To maintain the safety and security of a residential building and give peace of mind to both board members and non-board residents, it’s vital that the people hired to work inside the building are chosen carefully, and are the best people for the job. Choosing the right people to staff your building is as important as making wise decisions about prospective buyers—it’s all about preserving the community and the investment it represents. Read More
Live By the Code
New York City's building code is a complex set of documents, regulations, amendments, "letters," and local laws regulating every aspect of building construction and maintenance from window specifications, boiler maintenance, elevators, exterior walls, and even paint - it's a massive body of material that more often than not takes an expert to interpret. Read More
100 Years Underground
This year, New York City celebrated the centennial of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s public transit system. From its humble beginnings as a fleet of horse-drawn stagecoaches to its current incarnation as the largest public transportation system in North America, the MTA has gone through a dizzying array of changes during its first century of operation-and hauled an awful lot of people. According to MTA spokesperson Charles Seaton, today the New York City subway system handles an average of 4.6 million commuters on any given weekday, incorporates a fleet of 6,400 cars, and employs 47,000 personnel to handle everything from steering trains to cleaning stations. In recognition of 100 years of service, this month The Cooperator takes a look underground at the New York City subway system. Read More
From Gadgets to Go-Bots
These days the simple door-buzzer and intercom building security systems that were the industry standard not so long ago are going the way of the dinosaur. Like it or not, soon the stuff of science fiction films will become reality. Today, voice-recognition systems, camera networks and closed-circuit television (or CCTV) fingerprinting, and other state-of-the-art technologies are giving co-op and condo residents peace of mind while protecting them, their families, and their property from both external and internal threats. Read More
Check it at the Door
It's comforting to know that there's someone responsible and accountable at your door to receive your packages and hold them for you in a safe place, but since 2001, it may give you even more peace of mind to know that your building staff is also on the lookout for anything suspicious or possibly dangerous that might arrive amongst the influx of holiday mail and packages. Read More
Guarding the Gates
As one of the doorman for the residents of 565 West End Avenue, Michael Cunniffe has been opening doors, accepting packages, hailing taxis and shoveling sidewalks for over twelve years. "I like my job; I'm a people person," says Cunniffe, who is also a retired bus driver. "I deal with the public all the time. I have no complaints." Read More
Post 9/11 Security
After September 11th, one of the first things on most people's minds was beefing up security. Almost immediately, the presence of police and guards became much more visible in public places, and many buildings considered investing in tougher security measures of their own. But two years later, how much has security actually changed? Read More
A Question of Security
Since September 11, 2001, most buildings in New York City have taken security and safety measures much more seriously. Although the effects of the terrorist attacks two years ago forced co-op and condo managers and owners to reevaluate safety plans on all properties, building security should not just be limited to protecting the property and tenants from the alarming - if remote - threat of terrorism. "Security" more often means preventing day-to-day crime scenarios, such as unwanted intruders, vandalism and theft. Read More
Just A Phone Call Away
The old axiom about New York City government is that it's a bureaucratic hell, an exasperating nightmare in which John Q. Public gets passed from department to department whenever a problem crops up and immediate assistance is needed. Read More
Vive La Securite
In the wake of the World Trade Center attack, many boards are re-assessing their building’s security needs and taking steps to insure that their residents and residents’ property are well looked-after. Clearly, a building’s most valuable contents are not its Italian marble foyer, its antique gilded moldings, or its turn-of-the-century solid brass fixtures. No, the most important, most precious commodity in any given building is its residents. But making the decision to increase security is only the first step. Deciding what type of protection is most appropriate and which company to go with can be extremely daunting, particularly when considering the repercussions a poorly advised choice might have. Read More
Better Safe then Sorry
New York City is currently enjoying a period of prosperity and low crime rates. However, no matter how safe a building appears to be, it is important that the board doesn’t relax building security. If a building isn’t adequately secured, it risks the safety of its residents, making itself vulnerable to lawsuits. To prevent the worst from happening, buildings and their boards should have a strong security system, as well as ample insurance coverage, to protect them if faced with a lawsuit. Read More
Too Hot to Handle
The discovery of fire is considered a major turning point in man's evolution
from cave dweller to outer space explorer. Control of fire allowed early man
warmth for his habitat, a way to cook his meals, and light for his
surroundings. Fire also provided a means to frighten away predators and
introduced a social element by bringing other humans together in a communal
setting.
Read More
True Crime
A few years ago, when I lived in the East Village—in a one-bedroom, fifth-floor walk-up—I had a creepy experience when the cable guy came to hook up our service. He arrived in a beat-up windowless van that looked like it had been boosted from an impound yard, and nothing about him betrayed the fact that he worked for the
cable company. He might have been a subcontractor to a subcontractor, for all I know. But something about him seemed shady.
Read More
Exhibitors Learn What Attendees Want
Exhibitors for The Cooperator's 23rd Annual Co-op & Condo Expo recently gathered for Exhibitor University, a day-long workshop to
teach the benefits of exhibiting in trade shows and making their appearances a
success.
Read More
Building Doormen as Security
Jane Jacobs, the late, legendary urban planner whose grassroots activism
prevented Robert Moses from turning Battery Park into a series of bridges,
highways, and on-ramps, wrote at great length of the importance of well-used
sidewalks keeping neighborhoods secure. The more eyes on the street, she said,
the safer that street.
Read More
Customizing Emergency Plans for Your Building
As we sit in our buildings all over the city, we'd like to think that we're protected from emergencies by our sprinkler systems, electronic alarm systems and staff. However much we don't want to think about it, an emergency situation can happen, and your building should be prepared. Read More
