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Fire statistics and city response infrastructure
0:04:22
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160 sec
Council Member Sanchez presents fire statistics for 2024 and outlines the city's response infrastructure for addressing fires and displacement.
- Provides statistics on structural fires and their severity in 2024
- Explains that displacement can occur in any kind of fire, regardless of its severity
- Discusses the city's robust set of policies and programs for displaced survivors, including Red Cross services and HPD-operated shelters
- Acknowledges areas for improvement in communication, sheltering, and enforcement of repairs
Pierina Ana Sanchez
0:04:22
In 2024, there were 20,000 structural fires and NYSEEM reported to our committee, the Housing and Buildings Committee, that 2,000 of these fires were all hands fire fires, 130 of of these were two alarm, 40 were three alarm, 15 were four alarm, and 10 were five alarm.
0:04:41
But I'd like to note for the public that the number of alarms which corresponds to the number of engines that are responding and the number of ladders that are responding to a fire do not do not coincide with displacement.
0:04:54
Displacement can occur in any kind of fire.
0:04:58
All gratitude to our first responders who like they do every single time jump in harm's way and prevent greater loss of life and all of our agencies who show up when there is tragedy to try to set in motion all of the items that need to happen.
0:05:15
In our April 2024 hearing today and in our work as leaders of the City Of New York, we must seek solutions that also address the why.
0:05:24
We talked about the why at last year's hearing.
0:05:27
We know that stovetops are the number one cause of fire and lithium ion batteries are an increasing contributing factor to fires in our city.
0:05:36
But as chair Ariola has stated today, we want to highlight our city's fire and emergency response infrastructure for displaced survivors.
0:05:44
Our city has a robust set of policies and programs including Red Cross coordinated services in the time period immediately preceding a displacement event, including hotel accommodations and in some instances financial assistance.
0:05:58
HPD operates longer term shelters for displaced families and individuals and agencies including emergency management, DOB, DOH, MH, Department of Health, Fire and others coordinate work on an ongoing basis to achieve tenant relocations, building and unit repairs and tenant services.
0:06:15
While these services are unique among major cities, there is room for improvement from communication to displaced residents to sheltering issues, protection of personal property, building access and overall transparency and enforcement around repairs needed and timelines.
0:06:33
These tragedies highlight again and again the need for a more robust education and tenant rights following the complex response that the city has to fires and displacement.
0:06:43
Traditionally responding to such emergencies has been a joint effort among the local, state, and federal level.
0:06:49
But in today's climate where nothing is guaranteed, it's incumbent upon us as a city to work toward easing the financial and emotional weight on displaced residents and ensuring such residents are afforded immediate assistance in times of crisis.