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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Oversight Hearing on Emergency Response in Rockaways and Isolated Communities – September 30, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, September 30, 2026

BodyNew York City, New York

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, September 30, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:26:59

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:07

Good morning.

0:08

Welcome to the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management.

0:11

At this time, we ask that you please silence all electronics.

0:14

If you wish to fill out the parents' card, please see one of the sergeant of arms in the back.

0:19

And at no point, please do not approach the days.

0:21

Chair, you may begin.

Speaker 2

0:27

Good morning.

0:29

I am Joanne Ariola, and I am the chair to the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management.

0:36

I would like to acknowledge members of the committee who are here, Councilmember Carmen Delarosa, and we are also joined by Councilmember Sylvina Brooks Powers.

0:46

Today's hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to examine emergency response in the Rockaways and other geographically isolated communities in New York City.

0:58

A central component to a well-functioning city is a government is a local government that prioritizes the prompt, effective, and efficient provision of emergency services to its residents.

1:11

As chair of the committee, we have routinely examined how fire the fire department and New York City emergency management and the city as a whole respond to emergency incidences.

1:24

Working to improve the city's delivery of emergency services, lower response times, and expand access to life-saving protection and care that is offered by our first responders on each day.

1:37

As a lifelong resident of Queens, I take pride in representing the interests of the city's outer borough residents and have worked tirelessly to ensure the vital city services are provided equally to New York New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs.

1:52

Given the geographic expanse of our city, responding to emergency incidences are far reaching neighborhoods of our outer boroughs, can present challenges for first responders and other city entities that provide support services at the scene of emergencies.

2:10

Today we plan to examine how the city responds to emergencies in geographically remote areas.

2:17

We will look at how first responders are deployed and stationed to ensure prompt emergency responses and how the city ensures all New Yorkers receive emergency services promptly, regardless of where they live.

2:32

Today's hearing will highlight an emergency incident that occurred this summer in Far Rockaway, Queens in Councilmember Brooks Powers District.

2:41

Councilmember Powers will further speak about that what happened in her community and that her can what her constituents experienced in the city's response.

2:51

But I hope that we can use exploring this incident as a hands-on opportunity to work collaboratively to improve the city's functioning for all New Yorkers.

3:02

I would also like to thank those from the public as well as representatives from the administration, Commissioner Christina Farrell from New York City Emergency Management, Chief John Soraco from FDNY EMS, and Chief Paul Mayano from FDNY EMS.

3:22

You're here to provide information.

3:26

Yep.

3:27

CM Salam has also joined us.

3:29

Is he he's on Zoom?

3:34

Okay.

3:36

That's as far as we go.

3:37

So at this point, I would like to defer to my colleague, Councilmember Brooks Powers, for her statement.

Speaker 1

3:44

Thank you so much, Chair Ariola.

3:46

And I will keep it brief so that we can get into the heart of the questions.

4:03

As New York has seen much more regularly, there have been a number of weather events that have been happening, um, impacting communities, particularly coastal communities that have always been frontline, but even more inland.

4:19

Um, and what sparked this particular request was the July 25th incident that happened where we saw two deaths.

4:30

Um we had a number of families that were impacted, and the response felt very scattered and the resources very um bare.

4:40

And at that time, there was also a massive fire happening in the Bronx.

Unassigned speaker

4:46

And while we don't control when emergencies happen and where they happen, it raised the concern once again in terms of what type of resources exist for isolated geographically isolated communities such as the Rockaways.

Speaker 1

5:03

The FDNY, the EMTs, they have been tremendous to my community and their service to us.

5:11

And quite frankly, I worry about them when they have to respond also to these crises because we depend on mainland resources to be able to get to us when we talk about Red Cross and what services they provide.

5:24

I think we need to revisit what quite frankly is sufficient in moments like this where we have dozens of families that end up being displaced and just being able to respond much more quickly.

5:38

And so I hope in the questions today we're able to identify where some of the gaps may be that could spark either internal reform within these agencies and response divisions or prompt legislation on the council side to be able to provide the direction that may be needed.

6:00

So again, I thank you for the opportunity, Chair, to bring this important conversation to the public.

Speaker 3

6:22

Thank

Unassigned speaker

6:22

you.

Speaker 2

6:26

Commissioner.

Unassigned speaker

6:29

Good

Speaker 4

6:29

morning, Chief Ariela and members of the City Council.

6:32

I'm Christina Farrell, Commissioner of New York City Emergency Management, and has been noted.

6:37

I am joined today by Chief of EMS, Paul Mayano, and assistant chief of fire operations, John Seraco.

6:43

It is our pleasure to be here today on the final day of National Preparedness Month to testify on the topic of emergency response in the Rockaways and other geographically isolated communities in New York City.

6:56

As you all know, this has been an exceptionally busy year for activations.

7:00

So far this year, the emergency operations center has been activated for 183 days, and the flash flood plan for 90 days.

7:09

This past weekend brought a nor'easter and associated heavy rains, wind gusts, and flooding into isolated communities such as the Rockaways, Arvurn, and Howard Beach.

7:21

Emergency management tracked this weather system for four days before the first raindrop fell, activated the flash flood plan early, and scaled operations as the forecasts worsened.

7:31

During this time, we held two elected official calls, monitored 450 flood sensors in real time, sent 32 notify NYC messages, worked with 39 strengthening community partners to reach more than 200,000 people in 12 languages, and received more than 1.8 million social media views and impressions.

7:54

Notify NYC now has more than 1.65 million subscribers with 22,000 added just this weekend, and more than 234,000 added since the start of the year.

8:07

Enrollment in our basement apartments alerts has grown nearly 30% this year to more than 8,000 New Yorkers.

8:14

Our Instagram has grown by 38% this year with over five through 5,000 new followers this past week.

8:21

This weekend, we delivered 51 flood barriers kits and 24 pump kits to residents in the Rockaways and Howard Beach.

8:30

The Down Tree Task Force was activated and received close to 2,700 requests.

8:36

And much of the city council was directly active with me and with our team through the duration of the emergency.

8:43

As always, we thank you for your partnership and your assistance.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Emergency Services█████████████████████████████████████████████67%

Public Safety███████████████23%

Procedural███4%

Mental Health Awareness█2%

Public Health█2%

Technology and Innovation█1%

Transportation Safety█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Oversight Hearing on Emergency Response in the Rockaways and Other Geographically Isolated Communities – September 30, 2026

The New York City Council’s Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, chaired by Joann Ariola, held an oversight hearing to examine emergency response challenges in the Rockaways and other geographically isolated communities. The hearing highlighted a July 25, 2026 double homicide and fire in Far Rockaway that displaced 22 adults and 7 children, as well as recent nor’easter flooding. EMS staffing shortages, 911 dispatch delays, and infrastructure deficits were central concerns. The committee heard testimony from NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell, FDNY EMS Chief Paul Mayano, and FDNY Fire Operations Assistant Chief John Soraco, along with public testimony.

Public Comments & Testimony

Chowdhury Hassan Mahmood (FDNY Bureau of Enterprise Technology employee, via Zoom): Called for an independent audit of FDNY’s dispatch systems (FireCAD and EMS CAD), citing a sole-source contract with Accenture and elimination of internal quality assurance. Urged the committee to establish a protected channel for FDNY tech employees to report failures without fear of retaliation.
Christopher Leon Johnson (in person): Stressed that the Rockaways are geographically isolated (requiring travel through Nassau County) and need dedicated resources, including a dedicated OEM unit, levy improvements similar to FDR Drive, and better communication about train bridge lifts on the Broad Channel line. Called for more capital funding and collaboration with state and federal officials.

Discussion Items

Commissioner Farrell (NYCEM): Reported that the Emergency Operations Center was activated 183 days so far in 2026, and the flash flood plan 90 days. During the September 27-29 nor’easter, NYCEM tracked the system for four days, activated 450 flood sensors in real time, sent 32 Notify NYC messages, and reached more than 200,000 people through 39 community partners. Notify NYC now has over 1.65 million subscribers. 51 flood barrier kits and 24 pump kits were delivered to Rockaways and Howard Beach. She noted that geographic isolation is a factor in hurricane evacuation zone designations, and that the strengthening communities program (including the Far Rockaway Arverne Nonprofit Coalition) and CERT program are active in the area.
Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers (district includes Far Rockaway): Described the July 25 incident – a fire and double homicide that left a family trapped upstairs. She emphasized that the response felt scattered and that Red Cross resources were limited, with no backup if Red Cross cannot respond. She also raised concerns about the lack of a trauma hospital on the peninsula, outdated evacuation routes, and the need for trauma-informed mental health support for displaced families. She advocated for at least one of the 10 newly funded citywide incident coordinators to be designated for Southeast Queens/Rockaways.
Chief Paul Mayano (EMS): Reported that EMS is approximately 400 members below headcount. A 14-year-old cardiac patient showing stroke symptoms at St. Francis Prep High School on September 28 waited 37 minutes for an ambulance; the parents drove him to the hospital after no ambulance arrived. During that hour, 911 received 274 EMS calls (100 above normal average). The call was never triaged by an EMS dispatcher due to high volume, remaining coded as “unknown” (low priority). He acknowledged that no system exists to notify callers of delays. He defended that mutual aid was not requested because sustained system capacity did not fall below 25% for 24 hours (last such occasion was during COVID). He noted that a recent change to the CAD system now automatically routes returning ambulances back to the peninsula for high-acuity calls.
Chief John Soraco (Fire Operations): Said that FDNY has six engines and three trucks on the Rockaway peninsula, with all units “must-fill” to maintain coverage. Fire response times in the 47th Battalion are among the best citywide. For the nor’easter, an extra fifth firefighter was added to each engine on the peninsula. He stated that FDNY coordinates road design changes with DOT and local firehouses.
Councilmember Joann Ariola (Chair): Questioned the disconnect between the July 25 crime scene and the lack of coordinated multi-agency response. She highlighted a significant EMS staffing deficit and questioned why mutual aid was not requested proactively when the department lost 25% of its workforce to a promotional ceremony. She criticized the 911 dispatch system for failing to triage critical calls, calling the situation a “dispatch abyss” that has persisted across administrations. She also noted geographic disparities in response times in areas like Breezy Point.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams: Emphasized that geographically isolated communities face overlapping risks from climate emergencies and single-access routes. He cited data showing that traffic density, staffing shortages, and high call volumes inflate response times beyond physical distance. He called for increased EMS pay to improve retention and renewed the need for a trauma hospital in the Rockaways.
Councilmember Phil Wong: Arrived late; no substantive questions recorded.

Key Outcomes

The oversight hearing was held and filed by the committee, meaning no legislative action was taken but the record will inform future work.
Chair Ariola committed to being a “squeaky wheel” to press for more resources for EMS, FDNY, and NYCEM.
Commissioner Farrell agreed to follow up on several points: exploring trauma-informed mental health support for displaced families, coordinating with DEP on flood town halls in Rosedale, and providing details on the strengthening communities program funding (currently through Hurricane Ida disaster recovery money).
Councilmember Brooks-Powers will seek a dedicated citywide incident coordinator for Southeast Queens and will push for updated evacuation routes on the Rockaway Peninsula.
The committee acknowledged the urgency of addressing EMS staffing shortages, 911 dispatch system improvements, and the need for a trauma hospital in the Rockaways.
Public testimony will be included in the official record; written testimony can be submitted within 72 hours.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. Welcome to the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management. At this time, we ask that you please silence all electronics. If you wish to fill out the parents' card, please see one of the sergeant of arms in the back. And at no point, please do not approach the days. Chair, you may begin. Good morning. I am Joanne Ariola, and I am the chair to the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management. I would like to acknowledge members of the committee who are here, Councilmember Carmen Delarosa, and we are also joined by Councilmember Sylvina Brooks Powers. Today's hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to examine emergency response in the Rockaways and other geographically isolated communities in New York City. A central component to a well-functioning city is a government is a local government that prioritizes the prompt, effective, and efficient provision of emergency services to its residents. As chair of the committee, we have routinely examined how fire the fire department and New York City emergency management and the city as a whole respond to emergency incidences. Working to improve the city's delivery of emergency services, lower response times, and expand access to life-saving protection and care that is offered by our first responders on each day. As a lifelong resident of Queens, I take pride in representing the interests of the city's outer borough residents and have worked tirelessly to ensure the vital city services are provided equally to New York New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs. Given the geographic expanse of our city, responding to emergency incidences are far reaching neighborhoods of our outer boroughs, can present challenges for first responders and other city entities that provide support services at the scene of emergencies. Today we plan to examine how the city responds to emergencies in geographically remote areas. We will look at how first responders are deployed and stationed to ensure prompt emergency responses and how the city ensures all New Yorkers receive emergency services promptly, regardless of where they live. Today's hearing will highlight an emergency incident that occurred this summer in Far Rockaway, Queens in Councilmember Brooks Powers District. Councilmember Powers will further speak about that what happened in her community and that her can what her constituents experienced in the city's response. But I hope that we can use exploring this incident as a hands-on opportunity to work collaboratively to improve the city's functioning for all New Yorkers. I would also like to thank those from the public as well as representatives from the administration, Commissioner Christina Farrell from New York City Emergency Management, Chief John Soraco from FDNY EMS, and Chief Paul Mayano from FDNY EMS. You're here to provide information. Yep. CM Salam has also joined us. Is he he's on Zoom? Okay. That's as far as we go. So at this point, I would like to defer to my colleague, Councilmember Brooks Powers, for her statement. Thank you so much, Chair Ariola. And I will keep it brief so that we can get into the heart of the questions. As New York has seen much more regularly, there have been a number of weather events that have been happening, um, impacting communities, particularly coastal communities that have always been frontline, but even more inland. Um, and what sparked this particular request was the July 25th incident that happened where we saw two deaths. Um we had a number of families that were impacted, and the response felt very scattered and the resources very um bare. And at that time, there was also a massive fire happening in the Bronx. And while we don't control when emergencies happen and where they happen, it raised the concern once again in terms of what type of resources exist for isolated geographically isolated communities such as the Rockaways. The FDNY, the EMTs, they have been tremendous to my community and their service to us. And quite frankly, I worry about them when they have to respond also to these crises because we depend on mainland resources to be able to get to us when we talk about Red Cross and what services they provide. I think we need to revisit what quite frankly is sufficient in moments like this where we have dozens of families that end up being displaced and just being able to respond much more quickly. And so I hope in the questions today we're able to identify where some of the gaps may be that could spark either internal reform within these agencies and response divisions or prompt legislation on the council side to be able to provide the direction that may be needed. So again, I thank you for the opportunity, Chair, to bring this important conversation to the public. Thank you. Commissioner. Good morning, Chief Ariela and members of the City Council. I'm Christina Farrell, Commissioner of New York City Emergency Management, and has been noted. I am joined today by Chief of EMS, Paul Mayano, and assistant chief of fire operations, John Seraco. It is our pleasure to be here today on the final day of National Preparedness Month to testify on the topic of emergency response in the Rockaways and other geographically isolated communities in New York City. As you all know, this has been an exceptionally busy year for activations. So far this year, the emergency operations center has been activated for 183 days, and the flash flood plan for 90 days.

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