Last year, restaurants and bars were allowed to temporarily use propane heaters to keep customers warm while dining outdoors when indoor dining was shut down or at reduced capacity. As the practice of using propane heaters is typically prohibited by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) due to safety concerns, the City has announced that restaurants and bars will no longer be allowed to use them this season. The use of electric and natural gas heaters is still permitted in accordance with City guidelines.
The FDNY will hold off on enforcement and propane removal and fines, except for extreme cases, until Saturday, January 1. Until then, the FDNY and the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) will run an education campaign about heating alternatives across the City. Additionally, SBS will offer grants up to $5,000 to help switch to gas or electric heaters for participating Open Restaurants with revenue of $1 million or less. Learn more here.
Photo credit: Bloomberg
