A day before a fire ripped through a New York State Supreme Court building in Lower Manhattan, a whistleblower fire safety inspector told THE CITY that he was transferred after voicing a series of serious safety concerns at the courthouse next door.
The fire panel system inside Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre St. hasn’t been properly serviced since it was installed over a decade ago, according to the whistleblower, who works for a contractor under the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and asked that hisname not be used for fear of further retaliation.
As a result, there are multiple “trouble signals” that are displayed on the building’s main fire control panel showing several disabled fire alarms and other safety devices.
“I’ve been complaining over and over again about various very serious lapses in safety and the lack of maintenance on the system overall,” said the whistleblower who has worked at the location for approximately five years. “I mean, if a building like this in the private sector were to be in this kind of state, they would be shut down immediately by the FDNY.”
In March, the Fire Department issued a violation notice for failing to provide and maintain “fire protection and / or communication system in good working order.” The violation also notes that the building’s fire alarm control panel was “showing trouble.”
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