FDNY Violation Correction, From Summons to Certificate of Correction
An FDNY summons gives you about five weeks to fix the condition and file a Certificate of Correction before the OATH hearing. We work for building owners and managers and take the FDNY side off your desk.
- Full summons review against the cited NYC Fire Code sections
- Drawings, filings and the Certificate of Correction package for FDNY Business
- OATH hearing support, including requests for more time
- A licensed fire protection engineer on your file, not a call center
A phone photo is enough. One of our fire protection engineers sends a free fixed-price proposal within one business day.
- Licensed PE in New YorkSealed drawings and letters FDNY and DOB accept.
- We work for ownersA private firm. Not the FDNY, not the city, no installer ties.
- Free fixed-price proposalScope, schedule and price before you commit to anything.
- Reply in one business daySend the summons today, hear back tomorrow.
- Fire protection onlySprinkler, standpipe, alarm, hazardous materials and FDNY paperwork.
What’s Included
What FDNY Violation Correction Includes
Most owners have a contractor to fix the problem but nobody handling the FDNY side. That is the gap we fill. The public OATH record shows only the violation category, so the work starts with the summons itself: what was cited, under which section of the NYC Fire Code, and what FDNY will accept as proof it was corrected. Sprinkler, standpipe, fire alarm, flammable and hazardous materials, and fire protection paperwork violations are all fire protection engineering, and that is all we do.
Every engagement starts the same way: send us the summons, get a free fixed-price proposal within one business day, and decide from there.
Summons Review and Correction Plan
Each violation is read against the cited NYC Fire Code section and sorted into fix-now items and items that need drawings, a filing or an engineer’s letter, with a schedule against the compliance date.
Certificate of Correction Package
The notarized certificate, the proof of correction (photos, invoices, test reports, engineer’s letters) and the summons copy, organized for filing through FDNY Business on or before the compliance date.
Design and Installation Document Violations
Missing or unapproved sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm documents are engineering paperwork. We prepare the sealed drawings, calculations and filings FDNY and DOB need to see.
Inspection, Testing and Maintenance Violations
Your contractor runs the tests. We review the NFPA 25 and NFPA 72 records, close the gaps the inspector found and put the paperwork in the form FDNY accepts.
Unwarranted Alarm Summonses
Repeat false alarm summonses usually trace to the system: a detector in the wrong place, a sensitivity setting, overdue maintenance. We find the cause so the summonses stop.
OATH Hearing Support
Where a hearing cannot be avoided, we prepare the record, request more time where the correction needs design and approval, and appear on your behalf as your authorized representative.
When It Applies
When FDNY Violation Correction Applies
Triggers
When You Need It
- A New FDNY Summons: A summons arrived with a compliance date and an OATH hearing date, and the fix is more than a sign or an extinguisher.
- A Fix That Needs Drawings: The cited condition involves sprinkler coverage, a standpipe, a fire pump, fire alarm devices or a missing fire protection document, so correction means design and a filing.
- An Old Summons Still Open: A default or docketed summons still shows on the city’s record and needs to be cleaned up before a sale, refinance or new permit.
- Several Buildings, Several Summonses: A portfolio has open FDNY items across buildings and nobody tracking them against their dates.
- A Violation Order: FDNY ordered a condition corrected and a re-inspection has to be requested with proof.
What We Deliver
FDNY Violation Deliverables
- Correction Plan: Each violation, the code section behind it, the fix, who does it and the date it has to be done.
- Sealed Drawings and Filings: Sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm documents filed with DOB or FDNY where the correction requires them.
- Engineer’s Letter: A signed and sealed letter stating what was inspected or corrected, for the proof-of-correction file.
- Certificate of Correction Package: Certificate, proof and summons copy ready for the owner’s notarized signature and the FDNY Business filing.
- Hearing Record: The documents and schedule for an OATH hearing or a request for more time.
This work is common on commercial, residential, retail and industrial buildings across the five boroughs.
Process
How an FDNY Summons Gets Cleared
- 01
Day 1
Send the Summons
A phone photo is enough. We pull the OATH record, read the cited sections and reply with a free fixed-price proposal: what it takes to clear it and what it costs. Several summonses, or several buildings, go in one proposal.
- 02
Week 1
Sort and Schedule
Quick fixes go to your contractor now. Items that need drawings, a filing or an engineer’s letter start the same week, so the record shows work under way before the compliance date.
- 03
Before the compliance date
Correct and Certify
Corrections are verified in the field, the proof is assembled and the Certificate of Correction is ready for the owner’s notarized signature and the FDNY Business filing.
- 04
Hearing date
Close Out
If FDNY accepts the certificate on a first violation, the hearing is excused. If a hearing stays on the calendar, we attend with the record and ask for the time the remaining work needs.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the compliance date on an FDNY summons?
It is the deadline printed on the summons, usually about 35 days after the issue date and before the hearing date, to correct the condition and file a Certificate of Correction. For a first violation, if FDNY accepts the certificate by that date, the owner is excused from the OATH hearing and no penalty is imposed.
If we pay the summons, is it over?
No. Paying the penalty admits the violation, and FDNY still requires the correction. If the correction is still due, the summons stays open on the city’s record until the Certificate of Correction is filed and accepted.
What is a Certificate of Correction?
A notarized form signed by the owner stating the condition was corrected, filed online through FDNY Business with proof of the correction and a copy of the summons. FDNY does not accept it by email. Repeat violations may still require a hearing appearance even with an accepted certificate.
What if the fix cannot be done by the compliance date?
Correct and certify what can be done, start the design and filing right away so the record shows work under way, and request more time at the OATH hearing. FDNY and OATH both have to agree to the extension.
We missed the hearing. Is it too late?
Not always. OATH decides a missed hearing by default, usually at a higher penalty, and unpaid penalties can be docketed as a judgment. A new hearing can often be requested after a default, but there are deadlines, so it is worth moving quickly.
What does the free proposal include?
A fixed price for the work and a plain list of what it will take to clear the summons: what was cited, what has to be corrected, which documents get filed and the dates that matter. It is free and there is no obligation. Send a photo of the summons to start.
We have more than one summons, or summonses at several buildings. Do we need a proposal for each?
No. Send them together. One proposal covers every open summons, across as many buildings as you have.
Why did DGA contact me about my summons?
FDNY summonses are public records on the City’s OATH system. DGA watches for new ones and writes to the owner or business named on them, because a summons is often mailed to an address the decision maker never sees. Every email or letter from DGA gives the summons number, so you can check it against the City’s copy. DGA is a private firm and is not part of FDNY or the City. If you would rather not hear from us, reply STOP or use the opt-out link and we will not write again.
Are you part of the FDNY?
No. DGA is a private fire protection engineering firm licensed in New York. We work for building owners and managers and deal with FDNY on their behalf. We are not a law firm; for legal questions about a summons, speak with an attorney.
From the Technical Library
Related Services
Related Services
FDNY Plan Examination & Approvals
TM-1 filings, objection responses and the Letter of Approval for fire alarm work.
PE Inspections & Certification Letters
Independent inspections and sealed letters that document a corrected condition.
Sprinkler Shop Drawings & Hydraulic Calculations
Sealed sprinkler drawings and calculations when the correction needs a filing.