Brewer and Esposito discuss fire prevention and Bronx fire trends

Councilmember Brewer, followed by Banks.

Thank you very much, and thanks, Jason, for all his.

He's always 24-7, seven days a week, even when he's on vacation.

So I just want to say thank you to Jason.

Fire prevention has always been something that I can see in the executive budget you got more of.

In the past, it's always been underfunded.

And so I just want to know, with more funding, more staffing, what do you expect to do?

Obviously, the Bronx is of concern, but in general, a concern.

I don't quite understand why there are so many more fires.

Maybe you do.

I know that I was instrumental in the beginning of the lithium-ion batteries, trying to work with your previous commissioners to get the stores to stop selling them.

Of course, Amazon continued to sell them.

So I don't know if they're lithium ion or something else, but how are you going to approach this prevention?

You have great officers out at every street fair, et cetera, but it doesn't seem to be sinking in.

So we do know that there has been a significant increase in serious fires in the Bronx this year.

But elsewhere too, I think, not just the Bronx.

In the Bronx and Queens, we've seen a significant increase over last year.

And we're looking at and reviewing all of the fires.

Especially not just the serious ones, but the fatal fires, and trying to find what is in common with them.

Aside from that the majority of them are in buildings with a single stairway, we haven't found a common denominator yet.

The causes of the fires are separate, although the predominant cause of fires in the Bronx and throughout the city is related to the electrical system, either in the building

or extension cords or power strips or an appliance cord.

We continue with the education outreach, the messaging we're getting out there about closing the door.

We know that was very effective with the lithium ion battery issues, and we thank you for your support and championing that effort.

And we saw great results with that.

So we're going to keep pushing that and getting the word out.

When there is a fatal fire, we do send education teams to that neighborhood, to that building, to get the word out.

We continue with the education.

The messaging we're getting out there about closing the door.

Smoke detector, distribution.

Anybody that needs it, we will go out and install it.

We know that was very effective with the lithium ion battery issues, and we thank you for your support and championing that effort.

I appreciate it.

I just think that seems to be the number one concern.