Res 0837-2025

Whereas, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA" or the "Authority") is the largest transportation system in North America, including 6,553 subway cars and 472 subway stations, and with a daily subway ridership of approximately 3.6 million people as of 2023; and Whereas, The MTA subway system has a number of safety features in place to respond to incidents or emergencies, including illuminate "Help Points" in subway stations to connect customers directly to emergency personnel, emergency exit and brake pull systems on subway cars, and passenger emergency intercoms near the end of each subway car on certain subway trains; and Whereas, According to the MTA, the Authority trains with local and national emergency response partners and regularly reviews their processes to ensure that they are keeping customers safe; and Whereas, On December 22, 2024, Debrina Kawam was the victim of a fatal burning attack after her clothing was set on fire on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn; and Whereas, Although police officers and transit workers attempted to save Debrina Kawam and put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, they were unable to save her life; and Whereas, Passengers on the subway car and at the station where unable to access a fire extinguisher to assist the victim because, according to the New York Post, fire extinguishers are only accessible to MTA workers in track tunnels and booths and are not accessible to the public on platforms or in subway cars; and Whereas, Including encased fire extinguishers on MTA subway cars and in stations could allow members of the public to assist in putting out fires within the NYC subway system; and Whereas, Installing alarms on encased fire extinguishers could further alert MTA employees to the use of a fire extinguisher and the potential of a fire within the subway system; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to install encased, alarmed, and publicly accessible fire extinguishers in MTA subway cars and stations. JPB LS #18754 3/7/25 4:00 PM