TESTIMONY
Salim Drammeh, President of the Gambian Youth Organization, on Legislation for Fire Safety and Tenant Rights
0:25:50
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5 min
Salim Drammeh advocates for stricter fire safety legislation and improved tenant rights in the aftermath of a tragic fire that claimed 17 lives.
- Emphasizes the need for legislative action to prevent future fires, and promotes bills introduced to address gaps in fire safety and tenant rights.
- Supports specific bills aimed at educating tenants on their rights, enhancing smoke extraction systems in buildings, and requiring fire departments to notify local officials and community about fires.
- Highlights the role of the Gambian Youth Organization in providing translation services and grassroots support during fire emergencies.
- Calls for continued improvements in fire safety and tenant protections, particularly in low-income and underserved communities.
Salim Drammeh
0:25:50
Hello, everyone.
0:25:51
My name is Salim Drame.
0:25:53
I'm the president of the Gamif Organization.
0:25:55
I want to thank chair Sanchez, the Committee of Housing And Buildings, Committee on Fire And Emergency Management, hosting this hearing and having us on this panel.
0:26:08
We all know that, you know, the devastation that took place 2 years ago in the Bronx, with the deadly fire that claimed the lives of 17 of our community members.
0:26:15
Cyrigiana was a former member of GYN, and he passed away due to the fire.
0:26:21
We pray that I may love bless her soul and all the deceased of Twin Parks Northwest.
0:26:26
And I I always say and and I will continue to say, you know, that fire that occurred on January 9 2022 could have been prevented.
0:26:34
It did not need to happen.
0:26:36
It showed it could have been prevented with Jorge inspections, enforcement, and systemic change through legislation, which will prevent horrific fires like that that the one that happened on January 2022.
0:26:47
Especially in underserved communities.
0:26:49
I wanna thank the city council, especially my own council member of San Feliz, for work the package of bills for fire safety, which addressed some of the issues we have raised in our list of demands as a community.
0:27:04
Through those bills that were passed during that year did address some of the concerns we raised.
0:27:11
There's still some work to be done.
0:27:13
Today, we're here to voice our support with our experience with the touring parts and offers fire for some of the bills that were introduced earlier this month in the council, internal number 6 is used by I'm CS CM Avelis.
0:27:26
CM Avelis and intro from ADA and 89 introduced by chair Sanchez are steps in the right direction towards fire safety and management that we feel can help prevent another tragedy like January 2022.
0:27:39
So with until number 6, we support that because it would definitely allow tenants to be educated on their rights, especially there's possibilities landlords have under the law regarding vacay orders.
0:27:50
When the fire at Twin Parks And Office occurred, the families had to vacay and be relocated.
0:27:56
However, many did not receive proper communication in due time regarding regarding that regarding when and whether or not they were allowed to go back into their residential units.
0:28:07
While responding, we found out that some people never vacated.
0:28:10
At all and stayed in there given the dangerous conditions of the building at that time.
0:28:15
And the ones that were displaced also did not know their rights as displaced tenants.
0:28:21
There was certainly a lack of communication regarding whether people were responsible for paying bills during the time of during the during the time of maintenance of the building, whether or not they can access their apartment at any point to collect their point documents or which city services and agencies they can work with to recover those documents.
0:28:39
There are certainties about how long Red Cross and building management will cover to hotels, stays while they were displaced.
0:28:47
Tethys were asking questions about when it was safe for them to return to their units or when they would be able to access their access their units itself.
0:28:56
Even if tenants were notified, Centimeters of dealers mentioned they they may have been they they may have there there was language barriers in place, especially due to the African languages, like, as we observed during its own process of fire.
0:29:10
We had to step in, you know, as a a a a a grassroots organization to provide translation services.
0:29:17
Real time.
0:29:18
So intro number number 6 definitely will reduce those confusions during tragic times.
0:29:26
With intro number 88, we support this bill because it will establish a mechanism whereby the fireworks happened the smoke will be extracted from the building.
0:29:37
I strongly emphasize the importance of this bill because all seventeen people who passed away on an ordinary knife.
0:29:44
They passed away because of smoke.
0:29:50
Third floor throughout from from the 3rd floor throughout the whole building.
0:29:54
If proper smoke dampers were dampers were installed, if there were a slow control system that was suspected frequently, we could have avoided such a horrific scene.
0:30:05
The smoke control systems and low income and affordable housing years are generally old and mostly damaged.
0:30:11
So this bill will definitely allow qualified individuals to conduct periodic inspections, which we believe will save all will save all lives.
0:30:20
And this bill has been have been passed to January 9 2022, all 17 members we believe could have been saved.
0:30:28
With intro, number 89, Again, I'm I'm introduced by a CEO of Sanchez.
0:30:34
This bill notification to local officials and others, the fire commissioner would be required to provide notice to community boards, foreign presidents, and council members of a fire located within their like, there's there's addiction within, like, 6 patient related to the fire, the issue alarm level of the highest alarm level, the type of infrastructure that was impacted.
0:31:01
We support and endorse this bill because we've seen with the Twin Parks and no offense fired that it was grassroots efforts and local officials who stepped up to provide relief on the ground.
0:31:12
And on the ground knowledge was key to providing honorable services to the families in need.
0:31:19
So this bill definitely can serve as an accountability for hardified environment and Red Cross response to smaller fires in local income neighborhoods.
0:31:28
Yeah.
0:31:28
So that's where that's where I'm gonna head off to with you.