Several fire trucks responded to the 60 Hudson St. telecom building last Friday, shortly after 2 p.m. The vehicles were responding to a call regarding smoke coming from the building but found nothing to be concerned about at the scene, according to the New York City Fire Department’s press office.
Brian Maddox, spokesperson for GVA Williams, the building manager, said workers were cleaning the boilers that day, and the dust released resembled smoke and likely prompted the call.
The building stores a substantial amount of diesel used for its backup generators. In 2006, the Board of Standards and Appeals approved a special permit requiring the building to institute added fire safety protections in order to store the extra fuel. The diesel is needed to keep the telecommunication building’s technology and cooling systems running in the event of a blackout.
