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FDNY shutters Midtown migrant shelter for failing to provide adequate fire alarm system
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2023
Modified Oct 23, 2023
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By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2023
Modified Oct 23, 2023
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A total of 130 asylum-seekers were vacated from an emergency homeless shelter in Midtown for failing to provide an adequate fire alarm system, according to City Hall and a Fire Department notice posted to the shelter’s door.
About two dozen asylum-seekers from Senegal, Russia and Ukraine returned from work this week to find the doors locked at the former Touro College campus on West 31st Street in Manhattan and a notice citing the building for failing to provide an adequate fire alarm system.
“Asylum-seekers have undergone long and arduous journeys before arriving in New York City, and we are committed to keeping them safe while staying at emergency shelters,” Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for the Adams administration, said in a statement. “When identifying emergency sites, we work with agencies to ensure we are taking the proper fire protective measures.”
The FDNY referred all questions to City Hall, which said it had been working with the FDNY for months to keep the shelter open. It’s not clear why the shelter was closed before the men could be relocated.
Staff at the shelter told Demitri Taburkin that if he attempted to enter to collect his belongings, he would be arrested.
"I came in this evening and found out that I was kicked out," Taburkin said.
It was the second shelter closure in as many weeks by the FDNY. A Staten Island shelter was closed over safety concerns after residents held regular protests outside.
This story has been updated with new information and a comment from Mayor Eric Adams' office.
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Asylum Seekers
housing
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Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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