Landlords across the city will soon be required to post safety bulletins on buildings across the five boroughs warning tenants about the potential dangers related to charging electric bikes and scooters indoors.
It’s part of the FDNY’s latest attempt to raise awareness about the lithium-ion batteries often used to charge e-bikes, which have caused a string of deadly fires in the city.
The bulletin tells residents what to look for and how to handle a fire that breaks out from the batteries.
According to the fire department, you should immediately stop charging the battery and call 911 if you notice fire or smoke, the battery overheating, the battery leaking, a strange battery smell, the battery making odd noises, or a change in shape or color of the battery.
The FDNY says nearly 140 people have been hurt in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, another six of those people have been killed.
The FDNY has opened over 180 investigations into fires related to lithium-ion batteries since Jan. 1, the fire department said.
In all of 2021, the fire department investigated a total of 104 lithium-ion battery-related fires, which caused 79 injuries and four deaths, according to the FDNY.
In July, the New York City Public Housing Authority said it was considering a new rule that would ban tenants and guests from storing e-bikes inside its 177,000 apartments across the city.
That potential policy change received pushback from advocates who said it could create challenges for food delivery workers who rely on e-bikes for their jobs and who often store them in their living space.
This is not the first time the FDNY has attempted to raise awareness about lithium-ion batteries. In October, the FDNY rolled out an educational campaign on best practices for purchasing, using and disposing of the battery.
Landlords will need to have the bulletins posted by April 30, 2023.