Despite fire department concerns, NYC Mayor is opening new encampment for illegal immigrants

NEW YORK CITY, NY - Ignoring the concerns of his own fire department, Mayor Eric Adams of New York is planning on developing an encampment for nearly 2,000 illegal immigrants.

Utilizing Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field, the mayor is seeking to house these migrants within the next couple of weeks. The New York Fire Department has urged the mayor not to move forward with the plan, citing concerns of safety in utilizing the federal property in a summary report.

The fire department has pointed to the distance of fire hydrants from the encampment in the event of a disaster. This is just one of the issues the fire department has regarding Adams's plan.

Queens councilwoman Joann Ariola referred to the mayor's plan as a "recipe for disaster." She said, "Floyd Bennett Field is a potential fire trap. If they can’t put out a fire there in a timely manner, lives will be lost — families with children.”

The design of the encampment would be large, one-story tents housing the multiple family units on property that was at one time a military airfield.

The many communities would also house a medical facility and cafeteria as part of the encampment setting. 

More conerns listed in the report include:

• Aside from distance of fire hydrants, many have been found unreliable;

• Concerns that fire extinguishers are the only suppression devices in case of fire;

• A water source for dealing with the potential problem of a fire would be Jamaica Bay;

• Only one ambulance support setup is planned for the encampment, making it insufficient in case of life-and-death scenarios.

Despite the fire department's objections, Adams is moving forward with the plan.

The state is getting involved in reimbursing the city for the use of the property, as New York Governor Kathy Hochul is actively supporting Mayor Adams with the concept and completion of the project.

Adams cites the lack of room and resources within the city of New York as justification of such an endeavor.

"This is what we have been trying to say. What is it going to take before people start to learn what out of room means?" said Adams.

The recent plan by Adams' administration comes at the heels of months of dealing with immigrants pouring into the Big Apple.

Between large numbers of migrants moving into the city of their own accord and the busing by border states, NYC is dealing with thousands of asylum seekers.

Adams has been pushing at the Biden Administration to do something about the border and to help alleviate the strains up on the city by the illegal migrants.

Finally, in response to the mayor's continued request, the federal administration has presented up to 11 federally-owned facilities and has potential locations for housing that continued onslaught of migrants.

These locations, such as Stewart International Airport, might be utilized over time to house more of the refugees.