Q&A
Council Member Narcisse questions officials on park hydrants, homeless encampments, and tree maintenance
1:33:21
ยท
4 min
Council Member Mercedes Narcisse engages in a Q&A session with FDNY and Parks Department officials, focusing on issues related to park maintenance and fire prevention. She inquires about hydrant maintenance, measures to prevent brush fires in areas with homeless populations, and tree maintenance priorities in relation to fire prevention.
- Narcisse raises concerns about non-functioning hydrants near parks and requests follow-up on homeless encampments in parks.
- Officials explain the joint efforts between various city departments to address homeless encampments and associated fire risks.
- The Parks Department discusses their approach to tree maintenance and fire prevention, particularly focusing on vegetation management in natural areas.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:33:21
Good afternoon, chair, and good afternoon for being here.
1:33:24
You know, anyone that knows that this area here, we love parks.
1:33:28
And you have mister parks with you.
1:33:32
Following up the question on the hydrant, who maintained the ad hydrants by the parks?
John Esposito
1:33:41
The the the the hydrants in New York City are are maintained by the Department of Environmental Protection.
1:33:49
And inside the, the parks, I guess it's a combination of parks and DEP, maintain fire hydrants.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:33:58
The the reason I have that I asked that question because many of the hydrants that I find by the parks are not working.
1:34:07
So that's one of the complaint.
1:34:09
And then,
John Esposito
1:34:10
Alright.
1:34:11
If you could get us that, you know, those locations, and we'll make sure that they get, get reported to get, to get inspected and and repaired.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:34:19
Thank you.
1:34:21
In the in the areas where we have high population of homeless individuals, what enhanced monitoring or patrol are in place to prevent, the occurrence of brushfires because lately we've been hit.
1:34:37
So we have to learn from, our mistakes.
1:34:41
How does the parks department ensure these areas are checked frequently for potential hazards?
Matt Drury
1:34:48
Sure.
1:34:48
Appreciate that.
1:34:48
Thank you, council member.
1:34:50
We have our Parks Enforcement Patrol, division, which works really closely with NYPD, local precincts, the NYPD Homeless Outreach Unit, other agencies, including Department of Homeless Services.
1:35:00
There's a broader home mayor's homeless task force.
1:35:03
They do schedule joint outreach, cleanup operations if there is an encampment, which can present obviously some some fire, you know, risk of fire, like, in in in some cases, obviously.
1:35:12
So, but that's alongside other efforts to sort of monitor parkland and and and make sure we're addressing other violations that could be potentially dangerous, whether it's unauthorized smoking, you know, barbecuing in unauthorized areas.
1:35:23
Right?
1:35:24
So it's sort of a multipronged kind of effort.
1:35:26
But specific to the to the encampment issue, there is sort of a citywide, effort largely, steered by NYPD and Department of Homeland Services, and and Parks is a part of that that effort as well.
1:35:36
When you know, because it depends, on the, specific location and if it's under Parsons' jurisdiction or not, and that and that can vary, obviously.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:35:42
And last time I had one, I had, full support, so I wanna say thank you for that.
1:35:48
How does the park department prioritize tree maintenance in relation to fire prevention?
1:35:55
Are there specific trees or areas that are particularly vulnerable to brush fires, and how, do we address, those risk?
Marit Larsen
1:36:09
Thank you for the question.
1:36:12
In general, excuse me, in natural areas, we have, a prioritization that looks at all sorts of factors with respect to the the benefit and the value of, of our natural areas, keeping in mind safety for the public but also the, conditions of those ecosystems, When we're looking specifically at where there might be fire risk, it's generally related to herbaceous or grass type species, so phragmites or or mugwort.
1:36:45
Those are the ones where we generally see the largest risk, and we've been able to focus with some funding that we've had through, and as a result of our, community wildfire protection plan, particularly in Staten Island on mowing, which is, basically fuel reduction.
1:37:03
So that's what we, do when and where we have resources when it's the appropriate when when that's the, vegetation community that we see is a is a real risk.
1:37:14
One example.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:37:15
I honestly thank you, but please follow-up with the encampment in our parks because lately we've been having a lot of that.
1:37:21
Thank you so much.
1:37:21
Thank you, chair.