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Q&A

Ariola confronts FDNY about unrepaired leak at Engine 290

New York City Council · Jun 1, 2026 · starts 7:09:31 · 3 min 24 sec

Ariola shows a video of water pouring from a pipe onto an oil burner at Engine 290 and asks why it's unrepaired. DeRacus says work orders are called in immediately and trade staff respond, but with 300 work orders per week he can't confirm this specific one. Ariola expresses frustration that facilities staff didn't bring a computer as requested.

Joann Ariola

Okay, in this video, we see a pipe along the ceiling of Engine 290, Ladder 103 in Brooklyn.

Joann Ariola

The pipe has water pouring from it, and when the camera pans down, you can see the water is leaking directly onto the oil burner.

Joann Ariola

Why has this gone unrepaired?

Speaker

It's hard to say that it's gone unrepaired.

Speaker

Whenever something like that happens, a work order is called in immediately to our resource center.

Speaker

And depending on what the issue is, on an order like that, we would have our plumbers respond, as well as maybe our oilers, which would be the HVAC guys, to make sure that that boiler is operational.

Speaker

So I wouldn't say it's going unrepaired if it's an active leak like that.

Speaker

I'm not exactly sure what type of pipe that specifically is, but the water does look pretty clean.

Speaker

So I'm not going to say it's a sewer pipe.

Speaker

I just don't know from that picture.

Joann Ariola

Have you received a work order for that particular engine and ladder company and that particular leak?

Speaker

With 300 work orders a week, it's pretty difficult for me to answer that question specifically.

Joann Ariola

You were asked to bring a computer today so that you could look up.

Speaker

Do not have it.

Joann Ariola

Why would you not have it when a specific request was made for facilities to bring a computer so that you could look up the work orders?

Speaker

I just do not have it with me.

Speaker

I could definitely let you know about this work order.

Joann Ariola

Commissioner, we let Jason know very pointedly that we needed for facilities to have a computer with them so that they could look it up so that we could know

Joann Ariola

what's been done and if they had received a work order.

Joann Ariola

And the fact that that request from this committee was completely disregarded is unacceptable and disrespectful.

Speaker

Can I just say it?

Speaker

The request was not disregarded.

Speaker

I just didn't have the computer readily available to bring today.

Speaker

Come on now.

Speaker

No, I'm not going to accept that.

Speaker

But I do have a staffer back at the office who unfortunately is not there at the moment.

Speaker

This might be her texting me right now.

Speaker

No, she unfortunately had to leave the office for a family emergency.

Speaker

So I do not have that specific information for you yet.

Speaker

We're happy to get you the information that you need.

Speaker

We can't change, unfortunately, we can't change the fact we don't have the computer.

Speaker

We did have somebody at the office that could have answered it, but they're gone.

Joann Ariola

Well, that was the reason for the computer.

Joann Ariola

That's why the S was made in advance.

Joann Ariola

I understand.

Joann Ariola

And it was made...

Joann Ariola

To Jason Shelley and Jason, you know, you've been around long enough to understand that when I ask for something for this committee, I expect it to be provided.

Joann Ariola

And if it cannot be provided, I need to know ahead of time.

Joann Ariola

But in situations like this where it's expected,

Joann Ariola

You know, I don't have it because there was not a computer available to me is not an answer.