Q&A
Criticism of Parks Department's celebration amid water safety crisis
0:31:59
·
4 min
Council Member Krishnan criticizes the Parks Department and City Hall for celebrating a 'successful' beach and pool season despite the highest number of drowning deaths since before COVID. Commissioner Donoghue defends the celebration, citing millions of New Yorkers served and recognizing staff efforts.
- Krishnan questions the definition of success given the drowning statistics
- Donoghue highlights the service provided to over 8 million New Yorkers
- Discussion on the gravity of the water safety crisis and the need for recognition
Shekar Krishnan
0:31:59
The first one is is I have to ask, honestly, you know, There's no doubt that the parks department is doing all it can with the resources it has, and the lack of resources from a mayor who campaigned on increasing the parks budget is is a huge contributor to this problem.
0:32:22
And there's no doubt that the workers, the lifeguards, as I mentioned before, are heroic and are working hard every day to save lives.
0:32:34
But I wanna read a the headline of a press release that both city hall and the Parks department put out yesterday.
0:32:41
It is, as you mentioned, commissioner, the Adams administration celebrates successful beach and pool season.
0:32:49
Honors, heroic public safety workers, who saved New Yorkers from drowning.
0:32:55
Now I know there's a lot of work to be done, to be able to increase our lifeguard core, to protect our pools and beaches.
0:33:02
But one thing that I find striking is the lack of recognition of the gravity of the crisis that we face.
0:33:13
When we saw drownings this summer, the mayor made flippant comments about children not swimming or youth not swimming after hours.
0:33:20
And to see a press release put out that celebrates a successful pull in beach season.
0:33:27
It calls it a successful pull in beach season, but we suffered the highest number of drowning deaths this summer since before COVID.
0:33:36
And we are still at 2 thirds adequate lifeguard staffing.
0:33:40
How does this administration define success?
Sue Donoghue
0:33:45
Thank you, councilmen, for that question.
0:33:47
And we did put out that a press release yesterday, and we do feel with having served over 7,000,000 New Yorkers at our beaches and over 1,000,000 at our pools.
0:33:58
And the what you reference and we so agree the heroic work of our lifeguards Dozens of saves in a very, very busy, challenging environment.
0:34:10
We do want to recognize the good work of our staff in serving over 8,000,000 New Yorkers in the summer.
0:34:17
And providing an incredible outlet for relief from the heat and recognize our lifeguards, our Parks Enforcement Patrol staff, our filter plan operators, all the different elements that have to come together to manage a park system and a pooling beach system of that magnitude.
0:34:40
We absolutely feel it's critical and to recognize the incredible work that was done.
0:34:46
We have 45% increase in new recruits.
0:34:49
Into the system.
0:34:51
70% of those were between the ages of 16 18.
0:34:55
The word is getting out.
0:34:56
We think that that that investment of $22 pay in an hour is really critical.
0:35:03
We have seen things coming together to provide for increases in the in the number of lifeguards, the number of new recruits, and us being able to serve New Yorkers.
Shekar Krishnan
0:35:16
Mean, I understand and and appreciate that as I said before too, there's no doubt the work of lifeguards is heroic, but that's just one half the equation.
0:35:24
The other half is the extraordinary loss of life on our beaches and the lack of swim access the lack of water safety education.
0:35:33
And I can't understand why mayor and city hall in this administration cannot recognize the gravity of the crisis that we face and call it what it is, which is a water safety crisis in the city.
0:35:47
And it just strikes me as very off putting to celebrate a season when we are facing such an urgent situation on our beaches, with the gravest consequences that we've seen, as I mentioned, since before the pandemic.
