 Good afternoon everyone and thank you for joining us for today's public safety briefing led by deputy mayor for public safety fill banks Following our last speaker We will take a few questions from the media followed by some questions that have been submitted by the public ahead of today's briefing I would now like to turn it over to deputy mayor fill banks. So good afternoon everyone and welcome back To another discussion about what the administration is doing to keep you safe But more importantly what we can do together to keep ourselves safe So we have really two really important topics that's going to take place today One of the topics is fire safety and we're going to specifically on how to prevent fires Caused by lithium-ion batteries and those are the batteries that are used for to power these e-bikes and other micro mobility devices As of this week, I think we're gonna hear the rise of these Courses of some of these fires and I think it's the leading cause of fire related deaths in New York City They share alone and we're gonna get a perspective on that on how this has been going but more importantly We need you to concentrate on what we can do to avoid these things And I'm joined by the the fd and wise first update commissioner Joe Pfeiffer and the chief of fire Marshal Daniel Flynn and they're gonna share with I think we're gonna see a video right and some useful information about How we can prevent some of these issues that's taking place here But the first topic today is something that's very important as important especially as summer is approaching It's water safety and there's some of the things that we can do right to prevent certain deaths and injuries as it relates to water And I think we're gonna have some type of presentation and we're gonna have some good news about a lurches when program So I'm joined by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commission of my colleagues who don't hear and assistant commissioner for the Urban Park Service Edwin Rodriguez and they're gonna give some tips about safety around water safety But if you if you're here joining us now, you know how to sign up for this Please pass the word if go to here from Eric comm you can sign up What the sign up mean that we will be sending you emails and giving you information about what we're gonna talk about So in fact you can write us your questions email with your questions in some of the things that you want to get answers for And certainly we want to hear from you so that we can hear what we are doing right What are we doing wrong? What do we need to improve on remember safety is everyone's responsibility if we work together as a team We can actually achieve that goal So under says May 12th, but the temperature outside today kind of see certainly feels like summer to me Right. We're about two weeks away from Memorial Day, right? That's I guess the official start of summer And that marks the opening of our beaches and I think soon after the opening of our our pool So we're gonna hear about water safety. What do we need to do commissioner? Absolutely. Good afternoon, deputy mayor banks and good to see you too and good afternoon everyone You are absolutely right It feels like and it in fact is summer is right around the corner And so I'm so pleased to be here today to talk to you all about something that is so timely and so Important for the safety of New Yorkers, which is water safety our city as we know it is actually a city of water Believe it or not with over 500 miles of shoreline We have more waterfront in New York City than Boston Miami Seattle San Francisco Los Angeles and San Diego combined It's a whole lot of waterfront and every year millions of people visit our beaches and pools for fun Connection and relaxation And as you said deputy mayor, I am happy to say that our swimming season is almost here This year our beaches will open as you said for swimming on Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 27th And our pools will open a month later on June 29th Right when kids get out of school for the summer, which is great Well swimmer offers an excellent source of recreation and a chance to cool off on the hottest days We must also really be vigilant and we are at the parks department in promoting water safety First and foremost the single most important thing that New Yorkers can do to stay safe at the beaches and pools Is to follow all the directions of our lifeguards And I have some slides here just to go over some key points Our New York City parks lifeguards have an excellent track record of protecting New Yorkers During operating hours in open sections of our beach And it's really imperative that New Yorkers are mindful to only swim Where lifeguards are on duty and to follow all of their directions They are on duty seven days a week from 10 a.m. To 6 p.m. At beaches And no swimming sections are marked with very distinctive red flags as we have here on the power point lifeguards are here for everyone's safety and as we have unfortunately seen in past summers Swimming after the beach has closed can absolutely have deadly consequences I'd like to now turn to our next slide, which is specifically about rip currents Rip currents are powerful narrow channels of fast moving water that flow quickly away from the shore Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second rip currents can move faster than an olympic Swimmer so they're extremely powerful and something we take very seriously So please remember if you're caught in a rip current don't panic try to remain calm And begin to swim parallel to the shore Once away from the force of the rip current you can swim back to the beach Don't attempt to swim directly against a rip current even a strong swimmer can become exhausted quite quickly Next we just want to move on to our top 10 water safety tips Beyond rip currents. There are many other things we can all do to be safe at beaches and pools When entering the water remember only swim where lifeguards are present and please follow all of their directions And obey all posted signs and flags Remember red flags Mean, please don't swim in this area And even if you don't plan on swimming, you're just going to the beach For the day, there are still important ways to stay safe at the beach Never leave children unattended in and around the city's water bodies Wear sunscreen stay hydrated And make sure to know before you go be aware of the weather conditions before you leave for the waterfront Lastly and most importantly The best way to stay safe in the water is by taking a swimming or a water safety class So on that note, I'm very happy to announce today that despite some uncertainty surrounding our swim programming We'll be welcoming back youth learn to swim classes and new york city parks summer camps to our outdoor pools this summer in a limited capacity We know how important access to our pools and learning how to swim are to new yorkers across the city So despite a national lifeguard shortage that has continued to shutter pools in cities across the country We're doing all we can to recruit as many lifeguards as possible We're fortunate that here in new york city We were able to open all of our pools and beaches last summer and we're committed to doing that again this summer After a very aggressive recruitment campaign over the winter It is abundantly clear that we must continue to plan long term For the lifeguard shortage as we build back our core to pre-pandemic levels We also understand the grave importance of teaching the next generation how to swim for health and safety And in order to provide a pipeline for the next generation of lifeguards Our focus has been to devise a sustainable plan for the continuation of summertime swim lessons and access for camps That least impinges on public access to pools So this year we will be hosting free Learn to swim classes at six pools across the city The classes are free and will be open through a lottery which will be available on our website at nyc.gov parks starting in june lastly We absolutely want new yorkers to be safe and have fun this summer at our pools and beaches. That's what they're there for That's what we want people to do So we just want to emphasize please remember to follow all posted signage We have examples here on the screen Listen to the direction of lifeguards and only swim when lifeguards are present I'm looking forward to seeing you all out there and enjoying our beaches and pools this summer Thank you very much. Deputy mayor for having me That was fantastic. You know listening information is the key right the more information you can arm yourself with The better that you are it's actually is Part of your wealth having this information. So I just want to just clarify a couple of things So if there's a riptide, right you say even trained lifeguards, right riptide swim Don't go up against it swim parallel to it. Correct Don't panic swim parallel to the shore. Just focus on getting back to shore. So very important So we are now communicating it as best we possibly can but we can do better if you the audience If you hear it share it with one person share with the neighbor share with the family member If you have grown up against your riptide, right even Olympic type swimmers have challenges, right? Swim parallel not going against it now. I know that we've had a national lifeguard Uh shortages, right? So and the lifeguards are there until 6 p.m. Right Now, you know, we we do know that if we have a responsible adult They are probably at least likely not to go out there and swim when the lifeguards not present But sometimes these are children right and we're not faulting the children We need you as the parent you as the guardian To get that information to your children as much as possible. We do know you go out there late at night You with your friends. It's it's fun But if there's no lifeguard present you just increase your chances of something happening of you not returning Right. So we just need you to ensure that you can do or you can to get that particular message out to everyone I'm highlighting the children now because I think from time to time We see them going out there at this particular point, but it is for anyone No, it's convenient. You're out there. You're having a good time Lifeguard it's not there. It becomes certainly a no-no, but I also want to uh point to you says that there's free Swimming classes at six pools, right? And I think that we're just reopening so we didn't do it last year or the year before Exactly deputy mayor. We're really pleased to be able to announce today that we have even though We know we're going to be constrained and our our lifeguard numbers are still going to be constrained We felt it was imperative to prioritize those free learn to swim lessons So we're going to make our pools available for both learn to swim and the public so that we can Have opportunities for the public to enjoy our pools, but also be building that next core of lifeguards Listen, it's all fun until it's not fun anymore. So I think this is some very useful information Please pass it on as as effectively as you choose to that could be your social media your own personal conversations And we as an administration is going to continue to get this information out. This is something that is avoidable we could avoid some of the depth and tragedy Tragedies that take place if we share this information as much as we possibly can so I really appreciate that a lot of useful information Thank you very much commissioner So now we're going to hear up from the fire department. So we have the first w commissioner of the fire department We have our chief fire marshal that's here now Let the in batteries, right? We are seeing a rise much. You're going to that a rise in the thin battered fires They are probably all avoidable if we have the information The fire commissioner was on approximately a month ago and she gave her and I still remember it Don't charge them overnight Don't have them in your path. You're a regress. You have to get out the front door of the back door They should not be at that particular path and cultural access But I think we're going to share video And we're going to drill down specifically right and we had a recent recent fire that took place and we have some casualties there, right? It's all fun until it's not fun anymore. So please help us pass this information along As we will do the best that we possibly can to get this information out as much as possible. So commissioner Welcome Thank you deputy mayor and I believe you're right getting information out to to our public to to our communities Is is so important for safety? so that um That that we could feel safe this summer and and all through the year Um, but it means we have to look at some difficult situations this this past Sunday afternoon Firefighters responded to the scene of a heavily involved fire in washington heights It was fast-moving and extremely destructive Four people were rescued from the fire But they were critically injured unfortunately All four people all four residents Have since died from that fire And our hearts go out to those family members We know how difficult that must be for families To deal with such a tragedy Our fire marshals determined that lithium ion batteries Was the cause of that fire And there were multiple lithium ion batteries found in that apartment so far this year Lithium ion batteries have claimed the lives of nine new yorkers Making it the leasing the leading cause of fire deaths so far this year This is unprecedented and extremely alarming The lithium ion batteries have quickly taken the top spot for causing fire deaths Electrical fires have for decades been in that top spot for fire fatalities And that so far has changed this year with batteries This is why we're asking the public To please heed our continual call for ease safety We know that Micro mobility devices are already In your homes And we are asking you to to help us to ensure that the safety of your families and neighbors Are a top priority For you and all of new yorkers We released a new public service announcement video earlier this week And i'd like to play for you that video today Pretty powerful of video When you see the batteries explode in in the beginning of that film And we're hoping that it continues to educate our residents about what to do If these devices are already in your home We will be Using that video in multiple languages To reach out to all our communities And here is what we want you to know and we want you to take action We're calling this ease safety The steps that you can do right now To keep everyone safe And i'll give you three important steps The first is If the battery is between you And the exit Or your windows Move it The battery should never be between you and the way out Of your home or apartment Two If the battery doesn't have approved safety certifications Or it is damaged Don't use it And three Please Don't charge the batteries And having them unattended And whatever you do Do not charge overnight Doing these things Can save lives We have come at this problem from multiple angles Working with the mayor and the mayor's Change safety and and ride safety program Is a great tool for helping new yorkers navigate Through through the usage of micro mobility devices We continue to work with with local state and and federal And as well as the private sector the industry on regulations But we need your help We need the public because these batteries are already here You can head to our website FDNYSmart.org For a full list of recommendations on best practices On best practices And a lot of good information But so far this year We have had 77 fires 56 injuries And nine deaths Due to lithium ion batteries These fires Are extremely dangerous They create a large volume of fire very very quickly And presents significant threats To the lives of new yorkers And our firefighters We we we urge everyone To know what to do And what not to do With your micro Mobility devices Together we can make new york city East safe So we can save lives Hey commissioner, thank you. Thank you a chief flin. Uh, okay So now I understand that This is the leading cause of fire deaths in new york city this year. Is it am i am i is that accurate about that? That's correct. Yes. How many deaths that we have in 2020? 20 20 we had zero so that's that's really startling So we had zero deaths. Hold on. We had zero deaths. Lithium uh related in 2020 Yes, and at 23 we have nine in may Yes, not even halfway through the year. Hey team, this this is something that's that's preventable and avoidable so what generally is the leading cause because we don't want to negate that what is generally the leading cause of fires in in new york city Traditionally electrical reasons are the leading cause of fire fatalities in the city. So we electrical Carol's cooking smoking have been our leading cause of fatalities in the city Uh, as as you mentioned so far this year. We've had nine all of last year We had six so we continue to see this number Exponentially increase So here's where I have a concern at is that it appears to me that and I think the numbers Bear it out. There more and more people are utilizing these e-type bikes You know, it may be a few type bikes that fall under the category So I'm speaking from an umbrella point of view e-type bikes And more and more people are probably going to be using that and if we have nine now with the amount now I mean this is this is a very very dangerous situation that's that's taking place here Now last week the fire up in russian chin Heights there's four people who passed away who've deceased because of the fire, correct? Yes That doesn't just affect those, you know, that affects the whole community that affects family Something that's avoidable and this is something that we can do. So when I say team I'm talking about everybody not just the people who are employed by administration new york city We can do this. So what do you need to do one first of all tell one person Just tell one person. Hey, this is the information I heard you need to take heat So remember now we're talking about having it air is in regress Right, you said don't use damaged batteries or aftermarket batteries, right? You buy aftermarket batteries going to save you 10 bucks or 15 bucks or 20 bucks It is nowhere close to worth the price that potentially that you're engaging yourself and your family You says don't charge them overnight Don't charge them overnight because that can actually spark and cause it as well And you're sleeping and you won't know about it So We we don't want people to do it overnight and not knowing we want them to be conscious when they charge Charge the uh the batteries And and be aware Chief linds. So you are the chief of the fire marshal. So you investigate Or fires, right? Or fires investigate come under your purview, right? Yes, sir It's a soft number off the top of your head How many of these homes that you've investigated these fires are right now So that's when we clear what his role is the chief fire marshal in new york city So a suspicious fire He's responsible for investigating and concluding If there's any criminality, what was the cause of it from a percentage point of view How many of these homes have smoke detectors in them? It's percentage wise is hard to say but we have had several that have have not had the smoke detectors and in in those cases Not just related to lithium ion batteries, right? But in cases where they don't have smoke detectors people lose their lives So so that's that's really not just the numbers But the fatality numbers, you know, we've seen people recently that have not had working smoke detectors That if not for that fact They would be alive today not only that but we we want to stress the traditional fire safety messages We don't want them to get lost here Because they ring true related to the lithium ion batteries as well Make sure you have working smoke detectors Make sure you close the door if you leave an apartment that is on fire Close that door and that saves lives Uh, make sure you have a plan know if there is a fire regardless of the cause How are you going to get out? How are you going to get your children and get them out of there to safety? Very important. I just remember and we think we were speaking earlier I remember and I'm just going back years and years and years that I had seen a video And it was around christmas time and the fire department had our christmas tree And they lit it on fire in the amount of seconds that it took for the whole place to be in garb rice So that was a visualization that stuck with me. Also, I remember Years ago that the fire department put out a close the door campaign And it was just close the door into the fire close the door close the door And if you keep the door closed right you actually prevent the spreading of the fire You save your lives you save other people's lives there as well These videos here because I think that was a great visualization Can the public access those videos have we released those publicly yet? And how do how do they get those? Listen, yes, we released it already And they could go to the website fdnysmart.org And there's one other thing as you were talking to deputy mayor And you're talking about collaboration and people coming together When it comes to e-safety I think we should ask our our young people because a lot of them are the ones using these bikes To be aware of this And to to go home or go to their friends and say Do you know That you have to keep that battery Away from your way out and not to use aftermarket and damaged batteries So I I think that message We get out to the general public, but I think we task our young people To get that message even further To to all parts of our community good point. So we're gonna push that's a good point We're gonna push that Or how do we get it out to as many younger people as possible? And when we say get out to people we want to get out to everybody But maybe target it may be a good point And certainly if you could get that message out To the people who are viewing it now tell one person tell two people tell a neighbor Tell a friend give the your cousin a call today. Just let him know that we as new yorkers can do this We can actually prevent People from having Fertilities whether it's in the water or within the fire This is something as a lot of this is under our control and the more information that we spread and continue to talk about We can actually improve our chances of ending up like this. So Okay, uh, so we have some questions Very yes, thank you earlier this week the administration reached out to new yorkers asking them to submit questions for the officials That have joined us here today We will now get to as many of those as we can with the amount of time that we have left Our first question comes from michael in brooklyn for the parks department He asks has the department considered keeping the pools open late on weekends pool parties essentially there could be food and music For the question. Thank you michael from brooklyn for asking the question As I said earlier, we are still very much grappling with a national lifeguard shortage We would absolutely Love to be able to keep facilities open later and longer But the reality is we are working within the constraints of our the number of lifeguards And our priority first and foremost is always safety So we need to have the requisite lifeguards available at each pool And we want to have those pools be available and and have access for as many new yorkers as possible So a great idea, but it's really um, it is related to the lifeguard shortage And it really was it actually is a real great idea, right? So we need to do is she'll we need to note that and at some particular point And you know, unfortunately it may not be this year because of the constraints, but that might be something we need to I mean Who would not like a nice safe? Pool party at midnight, right? So it's a great it's a great one. We'll we'll see about that one great idea though Thank you. Our next question comes from franklin in minhatten for the fdny Can the fdny establish manufacturing standards for lithium ion batteries that must be met for use in new york city What I think the fdny can do is to build public private partnerships with with with uh, with our industry To make these batteries safer and and we're we're doing that already talking to the consumer product safety administration talking uh to uh Uh for safety certifications so We can It's up to the government working with the private sector to to collaborate And and and say this is what our communities need We're going to use these bikes But we need safe batteries and safe charging and also those those standards So I Deputy mayor I I think From from this table, and I know uh commissioner cavernor and and and the mayor Himself Wants to push this this this forward this idea of safety and maybe we coined the phrase E-safety. So the the public Within the city and across the country and I would even say globally gets the message out that together We will we will we will create an environment of e-safety So we can use these new devices and and Be safe at home. That's a good point. And he was good. Yes To that point the the mayor recently did sign a bill that requires devices sold within the city To be certified by a nationally tested lab. So that has been signed already So I think that's an important first step, right? But that doesn't negate, you know, just for the audience side, that doesn't negate People coming in on that secondary market to sell an inferior product that is financially cheaper But in the long run much much much more expensive to do it So in addition to the legislation that has been signed, we still need to educate ourselves and keep this information for them Thank you. Next question comes from shellian in brooklyn This is for deputy mayor and also the parks department. I believe I've already started looking into this one What is happening with the land on seaview avenue between 102nd street and 108th street in canarsie? The plants are overgrown and I used to be able to walk my dog there The plants are overgrown. Correct. Okay. Well, first thing is that what you see that's very important when you I would like to ask that question when you get information like this please Through any different venue that you want, but I need to hear it through 311 as well as anything Addition we track 311. We look at 311. We're looking at the responses The mayor is ensuring that we are in fact tighten up to make sure that people are not only getting action taken But they're getting it in a in a much more swift and nimble manner So the first thing I'm going to do is say that when you have any issues like that Please get it through the 311 issue that's taking place here. I'm not specifically familiar with seaview avenue Is parks department property? Okay, so thank you deputy mayor and thank you for the question and I completely agree We you know, we are so focused on respond being responsive to 311 and we're all Very much looking at and responding to those that incoming So really agree with that point put it in 311 We are aware of the situation in this property and we have folks that are going to be addressing it And just make sure it's for a flag that for me because it was important enough for this person to call up here We just want to make sure that we take a real good look at that to make sure that they There's a solve a problem. We solve as quickly as we possibly can Thank you The next question comes from lee in queens for the parks department who asks What strategy does your agency use to keep people away from staying in parks after dusk? Thank you very much for the question and it's something that you know, we are very focused as I said this is about This discussion today is about public safety and we absolutely are very much focused on public safety And that is where our pep officers are really important part of making sure and helping to ensure that people are following our rule Following parks rules. We also have an important partnership with pd And we are looking to make sure that our parks are safe At all hours, absolutely The next question is for the fdny from beltron in the bronx. This is an interesting one He asks can fire hydrants be closed in a way that only firefighters can open them Thank you for that question We're concerned about about drop in water pressure, especially when when when there's a fire And there are hydrants That that can only be opened by by by firefighters So dp has has a set of hydrants that can only be opened with a special wrench Of we're also able to put on a hydro shield on the caps on on the hydrant that that stops Anyone from opening the hydrant itself. So already we have a number of methods to deal with with Open hydrants and certainly through community boards or your local firehouse. They can go and and talk to the the firefighters and And get a shield put on the hydrants. So water will not flow In a particular area. That's a very interesting question, right? You know, because oftentimes I know that when I was working you had on those hot days, right? A lot of hydrants open and it was almost like well, it is hot and people do want to cool off But on the flip side of it, it does they change water pressure and cause other issues. So Very very interesting. I like to flag that question to get back to him because I like that question and uh, we We need to drill out and just find out the percentages and how effective that is. So I salute that question And and also we the local firehouses can put spray caps on so instead of Thousands of gallons coming out and people need to cool off. Well, there's a spray spray that comes right so Thank you Our next question comes from brenda in queens for the parks department She asks will the department consider designating shallow waterfront parks properties to be sectioned off for water safety instruction and swim lessons to schools and community children Thank you for that question. And it's such a good one as we talked about At this briefing water safety and learn to swim instruction is so important to the parks department And that's why we're so pleased and working hard this summer to be able to offer our learn to swim classes At locations at six outdoor pools this summer. So Appreciate the focus and interest in learn to swim. We know how important it is for new yorkers and as I said To the deputy mayor what we want to do is we want to be building for that next generation of lifeguards So the learn to swim we know is so important and we're we're very focused on providing it Thank you on behalf of the adams administration I would like to thank everyone for tuning in to today's briefing. We look forward to seeing you all at our next one Have a great day. Thank you