Babylon proposal will require front door stickers to ID number of units inside

A Babylon Town proposal would require homeowners with multiple apartments to affix a decal on their front doors indicating the number of units on the property. 

The measure would let first responders know how many units are on site and help them to better assess the home's layout in an emergency, officials said.

Under the proposal, the town would require accessory apartment and multi-dwelling rental unit owners to post "fire department response notification" signs on front doors. The signs would be four inch-by-four inch diamond shaped stickers with a reflective number indicating how many units are inside. It must be placed on the lower portion of the door, town spokesman Ryan Bonner said.

Town Councilman Terence McSweeney, an FDNY firefighter and volunteer for the North Babylon Fire Department, proposed the legislation. During ambulance calls, workers can arrive unaware the person needing help is in an apartment elsewhere on the property, he said.

"If you’re not getting oxygen to the brain, a matter of five seconds can literally be life or death," McSweeney said. The stickers "just give a heads up that 'hey, this isn’t the only resident that lives in this home,' which might help them act a little quicker and get in there and save a life."

The decals can also help with the operational approach to fires, which need to be a "well-orchestrated ballet," McSweeney said.

"A lot of people don’t realize when the fire department shows up, they’re not just jumping off their fire trucks and running around," he said. "Everyone has a position that they’re supposed to be in, and that all changes if you suddenly realize it’s a two-family building."

Anthony Macaluso, vice chairman of t h e board of fire commissioners for the Deer Park Fire District, proposed the decals to McSweeney. He said it's tough to respond to a building with multiple units. 

"Any information we can get going into a residence is all information that helps us get in there quicker," Macaluso said.

The town will distribute stickers at no additional cost when owners pay for a permit or to renew a permit, Bonner said. Owners who fail to place a sticker on their home and are warned, but do not comply, could face a $500 fine, he said.

Robert Leonard, spokesman for the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, said the measure appears to be unique.

"This is the first municipality we’re aware of requiring this signage to identify multiple dwellings," Leonard said. "We are supportive of any legislation that provides firefighters with as much information as possible when they arrive on scene."

Ian Wilder, executive director of Long Island Housing Services in Bohemia, a fair housing nonprofit, said he supports the initiative.

"This seems like the type of minimally invasive, minimum cost, regulations that could provide a big benefit to both tenants and firefighters," Wilder said. "I am happy to see a municipality planning for the changing landscape of housing."

The town will hold a hearing on the proposal on Oct. 9 at 3 p.m. 

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.