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Chair Krishnan introduces bill to mitigate brushfires in city parks
0:09:09
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109 sec
Council Member Shekar Krishnan, chair of the Committee on Parks and Recreation, introduces a bill (Intro 1185-A) requiring the Department of Parks and Recreation to develop a plan to mitigate brushfires in city parks by March 1, 2026. The bill is presented as a response to recent drought conditions and increased wildfire risks in New York City parks.
- The plan would involve collaboration between the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Fire Department, and other city agencies.
- Key aspects include improving prevention, containment, response times, training, surveillance, and enforcement against activities contributing to fires.
- Krishnan emphasizes the urgency of the matter, framing it as part of addressing the climate emergency.
Shekar Krishnan
0:09:09
Good morning, everyone.
0:09:13
My name is Shekhar Krishnan, chair of the City Council's Committee on Parks and Recreation.
0:09:18
Today, the committee will vote on a bill that I am proud to have sponsored, proposed intro number eleven eighty five a, which was first considered by the committee on 01/30/2025.
0:09:30
During the fall of twenty twenty four, the city experienced an unusually long period without significant rain that resulted in extremely dry weather and contributed to a drought and large number of brushfires threat that spread throughout the park system from Brooklyn to the Bronx.
0:09:46
It was a wake up call to all of us that wildfires are unfortunately a rising challenge that the city must be prepared to deal with.
0:09:55
Areas with trees and vegetation are where wildfires often start and quickly spread.
0:10:01
Because of that, this bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation in consultation with the fire department and other appropriate city agencies to develop a plan to mitigate the occurrences of brushfires in parks by 03/01/2026.
0:10:16
It would require an analysis of how agencies can be better equipped to prevent these fires and contain them.
0:10:23
The plan would also require an analysis of how relevant agencies can increase their response times, increase fire prevention training for more city workers, conduct better surveillance over fire prone areas for parkland, and improve enforcement against activities in parks that contribute to wildfires.
0:10:40
The plan would have to be posted on the Department of Parks and Recreation website and be updated regularly with relevant data on any recent fires that occurred.
0:10:49
I'd like to urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.
0:10:53
We are facing a climate emergency, and we must be prepared and take decisive action.
0:10:58
Thank you.