Trump Tower and other skyscrapers across New York City have a critical design flaw that makes them more dangerous during fires

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April 9, 2018 7:31 PM

In the 1990s, Donald Trump lobbied against retrofitting New York City's older skyscrapers with sprinklers, likely making them more dangerous during fires.

On Saturday,
In the late 1990s, Donald Trump lobbied against putting
Developers of skyscrapers built before 1999 still aren't legally obligated to retrofit their buildings with sprinklers, potentially making the structures more dangerous.

Over the weekend, an apartment on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan caught ablaze. Firefighters arrived to find the unit's resident, a 67-year-old art dealer named Todd Brassner, unconscious in his apartment, which was engulfed in flames.

He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital,

In response to the fire, President Donald Trump tweeted that evening, "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!"

While the fire was relatively contained, the units on Trump Tower's upper floors are missing sprinklers, according to authorities. Sprinklers would've immediately helped combat the flames inside Brassner's apartment.

This design flaw is not unique to Trump Tower. A number of older skyscrapers across New York City also lack sprinklers, because the city doesn't require developers to install them.

Following two deadly fires in New York City towers in 1998 (one at a retirement facility, the other at a residential building), the administration called for legislation that would mandate sprinklers in high-rises. As The Washington Post notes, sprinklers

New York Post reported in 1999 that

The missing sprinklers likely make New York City's skyscrapers more dangerous in the event of fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, sprinklers control or suppress a fire 97% of the time.

Brassner's apartment was 50 stories above ground, making it harder for the FDNY to reach him quickly.

"What the city of New York does not understand is that every one of these high-rise apartment buildings that doesn’t have sprinklers in them … they’re fire traps," Rose told ABC News over the weekend. "I’m still angry because it’s a damn cover-up, and the city has covered this up for years and years."

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