05/16/2020
Summer is around the corner. That means heat waves that can be dangerous, especially in the era of COVID-19. We’re taking steps now to keep New Yorkers safe — especially our seniors.
The City is buying 74,000 air conditioners for our low income seniors, and giving them out for FREE. Installations start next week so we can put them in place BEFORE the heat hits.
We’ve never done anything like this before. A lot of New Yorkers don’t run the AC because they can’t afford their utility bill. We’re asking the State to double its commitment to low-income New Yorkers, giving people another $160 more to defray costs of cooling their home. This could get so many through the summer safely.
We need to rethink cooling centers to ensure residents can cool off comfortably and safely. We will identify larger locations for seniors and vulnerable New Yorkers in high-risk, hard-hit communities. We will provide PPE and ensure social distancing is possible.
Parks will have more misting oases and spray showers so New Yorkers can keep cool while still practicing social distancing. We’ll also still have a classic New York City option – fire hydrants. We will open some in a safe way that won’t undermine the FDNY.
We are getting ready now to prevent power outages this summer. Last summer we saw problems in the Flatbush network. Much of it has been replaced and updated. We have new protocols in place and ConEd and NYC Emergency Management will alert us at the slightest sign of a problem. We have 60 portable generators for deployment with 22 more on the way. They will be pre-set around the city just in case.
This summer will require us to think differently and watch out for each other. If the results of the last few weeks are any indication, we’ll make adjustments to help each other out and move forward together.