The mandate to increase the oversight of the Fire Department — with hopes of dramatically improving response times to reports of leaks — is at the centerpiece of a report released Wednesday. The plan also calls for more efficient repairs to the city’s aging infrastructure and improved communication about potentially deadly leaks among the city’s agencies, independent utilities and the public.
“Mayor de Blasio is committed to improving New York City’s infrastructure,” said City Hall spokesman Phil Walzak, “and making the critical investments and changes needed to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers, and maintain our city’s competitive edge.”
Previously, residents who smelled gas were often told to call their gas utility or dial 311, the city’s information hotline. The Fire Department, which possesses the most suitable manpower and equipment to conduct a quick evacuation or ventilation of the area, would only be notified if the leak met certain thresholds, such as a multitude of calls or other warning signs, like a flickering of lights.
Now, any calls to 311 reporting gas will be transferred to the 911 emergency line, automatically triggering a Fire Department response. The city also will mount a public awareness campaign urging residents to call 911 — and not just their utility — if they smell gas. Additionally, Con Edison, which manages most of Manhattan’s gas lines, may alter its procedures to notify the Fire Department of every reported leak.
“If you smell gas, that’s an emergency, so call 911,” Con Ed spokesman Michael Clendenin told WCBS 880’s Peter Haskell. “All these efforts have been geared toward what we could do to make the public safer.”
The change will increase the Fire Department’s workload, but fire officials believe it can be handled, according to the report. The department’s current response time to nonfire emergencies, which include gas leaks, is less than eight minutes. The average time it takes for a Con Edison crew to reach a reported gas leak is 22 minutes.
The firefighters’ union said it is crucial that firefighters be called to respond to gas leaks.
“A gas leak is an emergency situation that requires an FDNY response. Although the FDNY is on-target to respond to more emergencies this year than ever before, it is critical that firefighters respond to any credible reports of a gas leak,” Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York president Steve Cassidy said in a statement. “The March explosion in East Harlem shows just how deadly and destructive a gas leak can be. New York City Firefighters have always been on the front line of safety and will continue to answer the call as we have always done.”
The gas pipe that led to the explosion was 127 years old, an age not unusual in the city, prompting de Blasio to warn of New York’s aging infrastructure. The report commissions a study of whether additional capital investment is needed to speed up the process of replacing the city’s underground network of water, gas and electric lines.
Deputy Mayor Tony Shorris noted that 60 percent of Con Ed’s gas mains and nearly half of National Grid’s mains are made of unprotected steel or cast iron, which are more prone to leaks that newer forms of pipes, WCBS 880’s Rich Lamb reported.
The plan also urges city agencies and utilities to better coordinate repairs to save time and the cost of digging up busy streets. For example, if a street is excavated to replace an aging water line, the nearby gas line may be replaced, too.
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