Speaker Menin addresses preparedness failures and staffing vacancies before outbreak

Thank you so much.

I first of all want to thank Chair Shulman for convening this very important hearing and all of our colleagues who are here today and members of the public.

And thank you to the Department of Health for being here.

We look forward to it.

to hearing your testimony.

So this summer, as we all know, Legionnaire's disease outbreak has hit incredibly close to home for many of us.

It occurred in the district that I represent and took the lives of 11 New Yorkers.

Our hearts break for their family members and we send them our deepest, deepest condolences.

These are our neighbors, they are our friends and our loved ones.

I have certainly experienced this public health crisis not only as an elected official, but as a New Yorker representing constituents directly affected by the city's response.

I want to be very clear from the outset.

We first of all want to commend the health department staff who worked tirelessly to investigate this outbreak, inspect and test cooling towers, conduct outreach, and protect New Yorkers.

These hardworking public servants deserve our respect.

But today's hearing must also ask a fundamental question.

Was New York City adequately prepared before this outbreak occurred?

Legionnaire's disease is not a new threat.

We know it occurs in New York City every year.

We know cooling towers require rigorous inspection and oversight.

And we knew before this outbreak that the health department needed additional staff to do this work.

Yet during the outbreak, only 35 of 56 authorized water ecologist positions were staffed.

That means 21 authorized positions were not yet staffed.

with active inspectors when the city needed this specialized workforce the most.

Water ecologists perform critical work inspecting cooling towers and other water systems, identifying potential hazards, enforcing regulations, and helping prevent

outbreaks.