NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – More than 100 migrants were forced to evacuate a shelter for asylum seekers near Penn Station in Midtown on Monday after the FDNY ordered its closure over a deficient fire alarm system, according to the mayor's office.
A total of 130 men were relocated from the building on West 31st Street and Seventh Avenue, formerly part of the Touro University campus, a spokesperson from the mayor's office said.
The shelter, in operation for roughly three months, was under investigation as the Office of Emergency Management worked with the FDNY to address safety concerns. They had hired fire guards to supplement the building’s inadequate fire alarm system.
The FDNY ordered the emergency shutdown after an assessment that determined the fire alarm system was insufficient.
“Like all of our respite sites, Touro was never meant to be a long-term solution to this crisis,” the mayor's spokesperson said. “As the city continues to receive thousands of asylum seekers weekly, we are working immediately with our agencies to ensure the safety and security of all those in our care.”
This closure follows a series of similar actions taken by the FDNY, targeting shelters with life-threatening safety violations.
Following weeks of protests from locals, a controversial migrant shelter at the former St. John Villa Academy on Staten Island was evacuated, and 170 migrants were transferred to the Roosevelt Hotel after the FDNY found that it had serious safety violations.
The department is now evaluating other shelters across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens for potential fire hazards associated with the use of hot plates, overloaded electrical outlets, and the charging of lithium batteries inside the facilities.
Currently, New York City is managing more than 213 emergency sites, providing shelter to over 65,600 migrants.