Suffolk County residents who suffer the devastation of a fire may soon have new protections against predatory contractors looking to cash in on their misfortune.
Legislator Dominick Thorne has introduced a bill requiring board-up and fire-damage remediation companies to be licensed and bar them from soliciting work at active fire scenes. The legislation has bipartisan support and is scheduled to come before the County Legislature for a vote in September.
Thorne, a longtime first responder and chairman of the Legislature’s Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services Preparedness Committee, said the measure was prompted by troubling reports of unscrupulous companies descending on fire victims within minutes of a blaze.
“As a first responder, I know firsthand how important it is for a reputable and licensed company to handle the work necessary after a fire has destroyed a home or a business,” Thorne said. “My colleagues in the legislature have thankfully joined me in pushing this legislation to ensure that people who are in their most vulnerable moments are not taken advantage of by an ambulance chaser looking to make a quick dollar.”
According to Thorne, unlicensed board-up crews often misrepresent themselves as being affiliated with the fire department and pressure distraught homeowners into signing contracts on the spot. Weeks later, unsuspecting residents are hit with bills running into the thousands of dollars — charges that may have been covered under their insurance had proper procedures been followed.
“These folks are horrible people trying to make money off of someone’s misery,” Thorne said. “Not only are they deceiving homeowners, but they’re also interfering with fire operations and even hampering arson investigations.”
The bill would create a 1,000-foot buffer zone around active fire scenes, expand enforcement authority for fire marshals and police, and impose fines of up to $5,000, with possible jail time for repeat offenders.
The legislation was crafted with input from the Suffolk County Fire Marshals Association and the Suffolk County Fire Chiefs Association, which urged lawmakers to act quickly to stop the growing problem.
County Executive Ed Romaine is expected to sign the bill once it clears the legislature.
“This law sends a clear message: in Suffolk County, we don’t prey on our neighbors when they’re at their lowest point,” Thorne said.