Audit finds 'severe fire safety concerns' at MTA train yard

2022-05-13 23:29:47 By : Ms. Yoyo Zhou

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An inspection conducted earlier this year found “severe fire safety concerns” at an MTA train yard in Inwood, the agency that oversees the transit authority said Wednesday.

Auditors from the Office of the MTA Inspector General inspected the fire suppression system at New York City Transit’s 207th Street Yard in March as part of a broader audit focused on fire safety, Acting MTA Inspector General Elizabeth Keating said in a press release. 

The inspection found the system would “fail to generate the required water pressure and volume in the event of an emergency,” the release said. 

It also found NYC Transit personnel were not properly trained to test the fire pump that controls the system’s water pressure, according to the release. 

Twenty-two of NYC Transit’s 23 facilities, meanwhile, had fire pumps that “had not received the required annual fire pump tests in 2021,” the release noted.

“NYCT must ensure they have an adequate water supply to fight fires, anything less is unacceptable,” Keating said in a statement. “The workforce reporting to the 207th Street Yard, and every other MTA facility, deserve a safe work environment.”

The 207th Street Yard, which sits along 10th Avenue between West 207th and West 215th streets, stores trains and houses a NYC Transit overhaul shop. 

In a letter dated April 14, Keating advised the MTA to take several steps to improve fire safety at its facilities, including hiring a contractor to inspect its fire pumps. 

On Wednesday, the MTA said the contractor it hired had completed that review. New York City Transit also set up a “24/7 fire watch” at a storeroom in the 207th Street Yard and bought new testing equipment, in addition to taking other precautions, the agency said.

“There can be no compromise when it comes to the safety of MTA employees, and when safety issues arise we address them immediately,” MTA Chief Safety and Security Officer Pat Warren said in a statement. 

“There is no known fire safety hazard in New York City Transit train yards where we instituted preventative measures and had independent certified fire suppression experts assist in testing equipment and installing any necessary upgrades,” Warren added. “We will continue to evaluate fire safety strategy, keeping policies in alignment with industry standard best practices.”