Yonkers firefighters aim to educate residents about high-rise building fire safety

Yonkers firefighters are giving their time this weekend to educate residents about fire safety in high-rise buildings.

News 12 Staff

Feb 19, 2022, 4:23 PM

Updated 1,013 days ago

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Yonkers firefighters are giving their time this weekend to educate residents about fire safety in high-rise buildings.
They are focusing on fire resistive buildings that use non-combustible materials like steel and concrete. Yonkers Fire Officers President PJ Goldfeder says, "firefighters count 71 of those in Yonkers with about 7,000 people living in them."
The department and its two unions felt the need to share tips for those kinds of buildings in particular after the Bronx fire last month that killed 17 people.
"People see smoke and they want to flee and it's a natural instinct whereas in these buildings, we don't want that. We want people to make an educated guess. Sometimes stay right where they are and let us come get them," says Goldfeder.
Cpt. Christopher Thomas wanted to make sure people know useful tips to survive. His 16-year-old daughter, Anna, suggested a multi-lingual flyer.
"It just seemed like the best way to get the information out," says Thomas.
This is part of a larger safety initiative that also includes giving out free smoke detectors.  
The fire department says it has already handed out over 1,000 units.