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TESTIMONY
Vanessa L. Gibson, Bronx Borough President, on Enhancing Fire Safety and Strengthening Community Response in NYC
0:16:19
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8 min
Vanessa L. Gibson discusses the urgency of improving fire safety and enhancing community and emergency response systems in New York City.
- Gibson recounts a devastating residential fire in the Fordham Heights community, underlining the tragic loss of 17 lives and the displacement of many others.
- Emphasizes collaboration with community leaders, elected officials, and emergency services to support affected families and highlights the community's collective effort in disaster response.
- Advocates for legislative changes to enforce fire safety measures such as self-closing doors and the installation of smoke detectors.
- Outlines strategic policies and a comprehensive plan for emergency relief and disaster responsiveness to prevent future tragedies.
- Gibson's testimony showcases the ongoing challenges of fire safety in the Bronx and her commitment to initiatives that aim to save lives and enhance the safety of residents.
Vanessa L. Gibson
0:16:19
Thank you so much.
0:16:20
Good morning, everyone.
0:16:21
Good morning to all my distinguished members of the New York City Council.
0:16:25
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you for such an important reason.
0:16:30
I am Bronxboro president Vanessa O Gibson, and I'm grateful to be with you virtually this morning to talk about such an important topic.
0:16:38
I, of course, want to acknowledge our chairs of these important committees Manancher, Pieterina Sanchez, as well as Manancher, Joanne Ariola.
0:16:48
The members of the committees on housing and buildings as well as fire and emergency management, colleagues in the New York City Council, shout out to all the staff.
0:16:58
Thank you for your tremendous work.
0:17:00
In convening this very important joint hearing today to discuss how our city collectively can respond better to fires across our city.
0:17:09
First and foremost, let me send my hearts, my thoughts, my prayers, of strength, of comfort to so many New Yorkers that have been impacted by fires across our city.
0:17:18
Almost every day we are witnessing residential, commercial fires in parts of our city that have been devastating, displacing families, and residents, and certainly we understand the magnitude of the work that must be done as we move forward.
0:17:33
In my 1st week, as the Bronxboro Residential fire at Northwest Twin Parks in the Fordham Heights community, and we believe that there will be multiple fatalities.
0:17:48
And I, among many others, chair, Sanchez, council member, Oswald Fili's elected officials, raced over to the scene, and what we saw was devastated, heartbreaking.
0:17:59
It was pandemonium.
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It was chaos.
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They were people running and screaming.
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They didn't know what was happening, and I wanna recognize our incredible first responders over 200 Firefighters responded that morning at New York City Emergency Management NYPD Patrol Barbara Bronx.
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The 46 PRECENT.
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THE 911 CALL TAKES, THE HOSPITAL WORKERS.
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IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE CURCULIAN EFFORT to figure out what was happening and how we can calm the crowd.
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That day, we would learn that 17 of our neighbors from the Westaff African community of Gambier, unfortunately perished in this fight.
0:18:42
Of residents from our community that were displaced in this fire.
0:18:47
We have been able during that time working with elected officials working with all of our government partners, not for profit leaders, organizations like GYO, Gambian youth organization, ITNA Relief, the Muslim community network, so many of our community leaders and rabbis and emongs.
0:19:05
We work with hip hop pioneers and so many others, colleges, healthcare partners, to really support the families on the ground, to establish an evacuation site to figure out what was happening, the hospitals that received all of these patients.
0:19:19
We work with neighbors on distribution of food, of clothing, working with Monroe College to establish an evacuation site.
0:19:26
It was a lot that Sunday morning, and I am always reminded of that painful day that is a dark day in the history of our borough and certainly of our city.
0:19:38
This fire was an unspeakable tragedy and certainly is appalled to action and attention of the work that must be done to prevent tragedies of this magnitude from ever happening again.
0:19:49
And this fire and many others have provided insight into the gaps in services and where we can improve our work.
0:19:57
When It's the families, the children, our office over these 2 years that it has been has engaged with the FDNY with American Red Cross on installations of smoke detectors, smoke alarms, raising awareness around fire education, fires safety workshops all over our borough.
0:20:19
The community boards have been so helpful, Nyingcha, all of our organizations.
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We've been at senior centers, recreation centers.
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We've been all over the Bronx because we realized that this could happen at any given time.
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But what have we learned in these 2 years?
0:20:33
Because we've seen that, unfortunately, the rocks has been the cause and the sight of so many of the most horrific fires in our borrow from Happy Land back on March 25 1990 to the fire we had on Prospect Avenue to Twin Parks Northwest.
0:20:50
To the fire we had in hybrid with the Mogasa family in 2007, and whether it was a lack of egress, whether it was self closing doors that did not work.
0:21:00
Lack of sufficient heat are resulting in using space heaters.
0:21:05
So many things, government and neglect, landlord and neglect.
0:21:08
We can blame everyone, but I think the reality is is we have to figure out how to turn pain into purpose and our storm into strength.
0:21:16
Each of these occurrences and tragedies requires a very comprehensive solution One thing is Collaborative, legislation put forth, resources, education, and outreach.
0:21:28
And that is why we're here today.
0:21:30
I bring your attention to our strategic policy plan that we released in September of 2022, where we called for several policy changes that would help prevent and mitigate fires, which includes ensuring there is a sufficient Interagency coordination with FDNY with NICE, Department of Buildings, HPD, all of the relevant agencies that oversee our buildings infrastructure in this city.
0:21:58
We do not want to further traumatize families and New Yorkers.
0:22:02
The bills that are being considered today at these hearings is a good step in the right direction, as well as recently enact legislation that you all are doing as in yesterday with the lee lithium ion batteries legislation that you all passed.
0:22:17
I wanna commend you and say thank you for that.
0:22:20
But also making sure that we do more.
0:22:22
The work that does We have to keep going.
0:22:32
We cannot stop because there is too much work that needs to be done.
0:22:36
I was proud to work with chair Sanchez and council member Oswald Feliz back in 2022 to introduce legislation strengthening the enforcement around self closing doors.
0:22:46
And with these bills, we are tackling the root causes of fires, as well as making sure that landlords are held at counselable when it comes to self closing doors that must close, smoke alarms that must work, fire alarms that must work, and making sure that we are doing the work that is necessary to keep families, children, and older adults safe.
0:23:11
I am proud as the Bronxboro president to lend my support to the bills on today's agenda as they aim to really make an impact on our city's emergency response and ultimately save lives.
0:23:22
That is the work we have to do.
0:23:23
We have to save lives.
0:23:24
I wanna thank all the council members, Cheah Ariola, Sanchez.
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I also wanna thank council member Oswald Phillis for your incredible leadership.
0:23:32
Everyone that's co sponsored these bills.
0:23:34
I really hope that together, We can tackle the root causes.
0:23:38
We can protect the fabric of our housing infrastructure.
0:23:42
We can make sure that there's a coordinated effort when it comes to 311 poles and inspections.
0:23:47
We have put together a very comprehensive plan when it comes to the emergency relief and disaster responsiveness when we have these fires, whether there are 5 alarm or a one alarm, and we wanna make sure that there are organizations that are on the ground that actually get the support that is necessary.
0:24:05
We're not going to wait until the next 5 year colleagues before we act and do this work.
0:24:09
So I want to, again, thank you all for the opportunity to testify.
0:24:13
This is an issue that is nearing date of my heart because even since January 9 2022, My colleagues know we've had other horrific fires across the Bronx, including 2 commercial fires that devastated 2 supermarkets, and I will borrow a loss of jobs, and we need to make sure that we do better.
0:24:31
I thank you all for your time and pledge to work with you because by working together, We truly can make a difference and save lives and reassure New Yorkers that we are doing our very best to make sure that they are protected in their homes as well as in our city.
0:24:48
Thank you again, Shay Ariola.
0:24:50
Thank you.
0:24:51
Shay Sanchez.
0:24:52
And to all the members of the New York City council, It's always great to be back with you.
0:24:56
Even as first virtually, it's good to see all of you, and thank you for your incredible work on behalf of the Bronx and the city of New York.
0:25:02
Thank you.