With Yeshiva Inspections to Resume, Day Declares Program a Success

One day after yeshivas that had refused to allow fire inspectors in switched gears and agreed to the state-mandated inspections, Rockland County Executive Ed Day called the project a success.

Meanwhile, the list of schools the state Education Department had asked the county to inspect has shrunk.

"As of 3 p.m. today, county fire inspectors have inspected 8 private schools as requested by the state Department of Education," Day said in a press release. "We will continue with inspections Wednesday morning. The work we have done is a great victory for all children in Rockland, who will now be attending schools in buildings that are safe. If not for our advocacy, together with Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, none of these schools would have been inspected for fire safety. We are proud that we pushed this issue and improved safety for children and first responders."

Lawyers for Rockland County were prepared to go to court to get warrants to enter the premises when Dennis Lynch, the attorney representing an organization called the School Religious Freedom Coalition said the group had changed its mind.

In addition to representing the yeshivas, Lynch works for the two towns in which most of the schools are located. He is assistant town attorney for Ramapo -- where the town attorney and an assistant town attorney are under indictment and the fire inspector was demoted -- and Special Counsel for Spring Valley, where the building inspector was recently indicted.

County Fire Coordinator Gordon Wren and his inspectors were denied access to 13 schools on Monday, The Journal News reported.

RELATED: 

• Rockland Firefighters, Officials Call for State to Intervene in Ramapo, Spring Valley Code Enforcement 
• Letters to Ramapo About 'Severe Violations' at Private Schools
• Ramapo Disciplines Fire Inspector 
• Ramapo Shuts Down Yeshiva After Fios1 Report
• Yeshivas Drop Fight Against Rockland Fire Inspections

Day said that yeshiva officials have been calling the county department of Fire and Emergency Services to set up times for inspections.

"We are hopeful that all 49 schools identified by the state Department of Education as needing fire inspections will have them performed," he said. "The state asked us on May 18 to take over this responsibility because the town of Ramapo repeatedly failed to make sure these important inspections were done or conducted properly."

Day also said that state Department of Education officials have informed the county that they will accept inspection reports done by Ramapo inspectors. They have removed several schools from the list they had authorized county inspectors to check. 

"We will continue to inspect private schools as allowed by law and the state Department of Education," Day said.

SEE ALSO:

• Spring Valley Building Inspector, Businessman Indicted
• Ramapo Town Officials Face Charges in Fiscal Fraud Case
• SEC Charges 4 in Ramapo