The thick smoke and gases released by electric bike and scooter battery fires could be as dangerous as the toxins that were at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks or the military’s burn pits in Afghanistan, the union said. New York Fire Department, which wants to do more to protect its officers.
With city firefighters putting out an average of three lithium-ion battery fires weekly, better protocols are needed to ensure cleanliness of protective suits, oxygen tanks, and vents covered by smoke residue of the fire, said Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association.
In addition, Ansbro fears that exposure to gases and residues from heavy metal battery fires could cause cancer and other long-term health problems, the Daily News reported.
“We have to start looking at the firefighters’ equipment,” Ansbro said. The equipment “must be decontaminated immediately after these fires occur,” he said.
In the year 2022, electric bicycle and scooter batteries caused 216 fires, which left 147 injured and six dead, double the number of similar fires since 2021, when the flames generated from the batteries caused 104 fires, 79 injured and four people dead, FDNY explained.
In 2023, the number of electric bike fires seems to be unabated. As of this week, the FDNY has blamed electric bike batteries for 22 fires, 36 injuries and two deaths.
The president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association has begun talks with FDNY Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh to step up the cleanup of bunker equipment following electric bike battery fires.
In this regard, Ansbro hopes to do a study on the long-term health effects of repeated exposure to burning lithium-ion batteries.
“We really don’t know what the long-term effects of smoke will be on our members,” he said. “They shouldn’t be taking dirty gear from these fires and returning it to the fire station.”
“The FDNY is committed to working with our unions and other public safety partners to ensure our members have the best tools and equipment available to perform their dangerous jobs safely and successfully,” Kavanagh said in a statement.
Also read:
- NY deliverists support greater regulations on lithium batteries to avoid tragedies but request support to replace them
- 11 people have died and 251 have been injured in fires caused by e-bike batteries in NYC since 2021
- Electric bike battery fire leaves three children injured in a Manhattan apartment, including two in serious condition