By: Hal C Clarke

New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams is pushing ahead with plans to establish a significant migrant encampment that could house up to 2,000 migrants at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field, despite concerns raised by the Fire Department. The FDNY, along with other city agencies, recently conducted inspections of the federally owned airfield and highlighted various safety issues in a summary report obtained by The NY Post.

The inspection report revealed several concerns, with Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) expressing alarm after reviewing the findings. She described Floyd Bennett Field as a potential fire hazard, emphasizing that lives, including those of families with children, could be at risk due to inadequate fire safety measures.

The proposed setup envisions four congregate sleeping dorms within large one-story tents on runway 19, which was previously used by the military before being converted into a national park. These dorms would accommodate 500 migrant families with children, with bathroom and shower trailers situated between the sleeping tents. Additionally, a migrant processing center, medical facility, and cafeteria are planned at the makeshift complex.

One of the most significant concerns highlighted in the inspection report is the lack of nearby fire hydrants. The closest hydrants belonging to the Department of Environmental Protection are located half a mile away on Flatbush Avenue, next to the Ryan Visitor Center. The inspection report noted that most of the hydrants within Floyd Bennett Field are older federal hydrants and may not be reliable.

The report also mentioned that portable fire extinguishers are the only fire suppression devices on-site. While five certified fire guards would be available per tent, in the event of a fire, two FDNY Satellite Units might be required to supply water to the shelter site. Furthermore, the FDNY may have to rely on Jamaica Bay, which is 2,000 feet from the shelter site, for drafting and supplying water in case of a fire, as it is closer than the potentially unreliable hydrants.

To provide heating and electricity to the shelter site, the plan includes twenty-one diesel generators, each with a 564-gallon capacity. A fuel truck will refill these generators each morning, and there will be no on-site diesel storage. Moreover, the plan allows asylum seekers to bring e-bikes, which often contain lithium batteries known to explode while charging, posing a potential fire hazard. The electric scooters and bikes would be stored outdoors, not inside the tents.

Councilwoman Ariola expressed concerns about the e-bikes, emphasizing that migrants might still charge the lithium batteries within the dorms, further increasing the potential danger. She also noted that the two FDNY satellite units required for fire emergencies at the shelter site are intended to cover the entire borough of Brooklyn.

Despite the red flags raised during the inspection, city agencies did not object to using Floyd Bennett Field as a migrant encampment. The report indicated that “Division 15 is in the process of coordinating with responding units, Battalions, and Satellite units to develop an initial operating procedure for structural and non-structural fires at the shelter.”

A mayoral spokesperson confirmed that the tent city at Floyd Bennett Field is still on track to open “in the coming days,” and City Hall has emphasized that the site will be safe. The FDNY is working on operational plans and conducting fire safety drills ahead of the encampment’s opening.