The pressure from Mayor Eric Adams’ team to fast-track an FDNY inspection of a 77-story office tower at Hudson Yards triggered the cancelation of fire inspections for a dozen non-VIP New Yorkers, including an overcrowded, racially diverse public school in Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights. In the spring of 2022, 50 Hudson Yards landed at the top […]
FDNY
Posted inEric Adams
Not Just the Turks: Feds Looking at Mayor’s List That Allegedly Let Big Developers Cut FDNY Line
As part of its probe into the Eric Adams campaign’s connections to Turkey, the FBI is looking into whether an internal list of property owners seeking approval of fire alarm systems, kept by the mayor’s office under both Bill de Blasio and Adams, allowed prominent real estate developers to cut the line for crucial inspections, […]
Posted inPublic Safety
NYCHA Moves to Limit E-Bikes After Rescinding Proposed Ban
Last year the New York City Housing Authority proposed and then backed down from a rule that would have banned storing or charging lithium-ion battery powered e-bikes and e-scooters in public housing. The idea was to reduce the possibility of dangerous fires sparked by the potentially volatile batteries, but the proposed ban ran into pushback […]
Posted inFAQ NYC
LISTEN: The FDNY Keeps Shutting Down Migrant Shelters
Co-hosts Christina Greer, Katie Honan and Harry Siegel discuss kids in tents, city hall’s crude insult comedy, Eric Adams’ strong political hand and much more. Some show notes, starting with election stuff! Look up your early voting and election day votings sites and also what will be on your ballot. Read up on the handful […]
Posted inHow to New York
The Right Way to Open a Fire Hydrant in the Heat of Summer
It’s illegal to open a hydrant by yourself, in part because the water’s force could knock over children. But there’s a legal way to spray with the fire department’s help: Here’s how.
Posted inDepartment of Buildings, e-bikes, FDNY
Grubhub and JOCO’s E-Bike Charging Hub Violates Electric Codes, City Inspectors Find
Department of Buildings and FDNY issue $6,400 in fines for the Bowery facility, weeks after an electrical fire killed four in Chinatown. Grubhub says it’s a “misunderstanding.”
Posted inLabor
The First Responders Left Behind In New York’s Healthcare Worker Revolt
EMTs and paramedics are suing for better pay, as they hold multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Posted ine-bikes
FDNY Cracks Down on Illegal Refurbished Batteries at Chinatown E-Bike Shops
Inspectors found tampered-with batteries at 80 Madison St., where a fire killed four earlier this month, and at nearby 91 Canal St.
Posted inPublic Safety
Fire Inspectors Did Not Have Basement Access at Store Where E-Bike Blaze Killed Four
The FDNY has since found multiple e-bikes in the basement. Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams has ordered the department to speed up response times to 311 calls about dangerous conditions.
Posted inPublic Safety
FDNY Failed to Follow E-Bike Battery-Check Law Before Deadly Chinatown Fire
Earlier this year the City Council forbade selling reconditioned batteries — yet fire department inspectors didn’t look for them in a visit to the now-destroyed store just weeks ago.