NFPA Journal - Winter 2024 - 13

Dispatches Ecosystem
A SURVEY OF RECENT
EVENTS USING THE
NFPA FIRE & LIFE SAFETY
ECOSYSTEM™
NFPA.ORG/ECOSYSTEM
INFORMED PUBLIC
GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY
E-Bike Fires Decline in NYC
'Ticking Time Bombs'
Ahead of Hurricane Milton,
Florida's state fire marshal
warned residents to move
their electric vehicles away
from storm surge and flood
zones, because vehicle
batteries exposed to seawater
become " ticking time
bombs " that can burst into
flames days or even weeks
later. The warnings were
spread by multiple news
agencies. Hurricane Helene,
which tore through the state
a week earlier, caused at
least 48 lithium-ion battery
fires related to storm surge,
with 11 involving EVs, state
officials have confirmed.
ECOSYSTEM SUCCESS
CODE COMPLIANCE
The rate of deaths and injuries from lithium-ion
battery fires in New York City has slowed this year.
Through September, battery fires have caused three
deaths and 84 injuries, down from 14 deaths and 114
injuries during the same period in 2023, the New
York Times reported. City officials cite several new
policies for the decline, including new laws banning
the sale of e-bikes and e-scooters that have not
been certified for safety and increased inspections
of bike shops. The city has also undertaken a massive
public awareness campaign.
ECOSYSTEM SUCCESS
GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY
Gutting Safety
Local safety officials claim that
Hurricane Helene would have
been much less destructive
had North Carolina lawmakers
not gutted or rejected multiple
building regulations over the
last 15 years intended to make
communities more resilient.
Republican lawmakers passed
a law last year that restricts
the state from updating its
building codes until 2031 and
restricts building inspectors
from checking certain features,
according to the New York
Times. Democratic Gov. Roy
Cooper vetoed the bill, saying
it would " wipe out years of
work to make homes safer, " but
Republicans overrode the veto.
Thai Bus Tragedy
Twenty students and three teachers
died on a school bus that caught
fire during a field trip near Bangkok,
Thailand, in October. The bus, which
was fueled by compressed natural
gas, had 11 gas canisters on board,
but was permitted to install only
six. The Thai government has since
ordered an inspection of all passenger
buses equipped with compressed
natural gas.
ECOSYSTEM FAIL
ECOSYSTEM FAIL
INVESTMENT IN SAFETY
Watching for Wildfires
Early next year, Google and Muon Space will
launch the first of what will eventually be a
constellation of satellites called FireSat, which
will detect wildfires and gather important
data. Using artificial intelligence and special
cameras, the FireSat system will provide fire
departments with near real-time information
about the location, size, and intensity of
early-stage wildfires anywhere on Earth. The
program will also create a global historical
record of fire spread, helping researchers to
better model and understand wildfire behavior.
ECOSYSTEM SUCCESS
NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 13
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GARY HERSHORN/GETTY IMAGES; SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES; MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES;
ROBERTO MACHADO NOA; MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

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NFPA Journal - Winter 2024

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