On Christmas Eve, a fire started underneath a train at the High St A and C train station https://abc7ny.com/fire-subway-smoke-in-a-c-line-downtown-brooklyn/14222151/ . Luckily there were only minor injuries, but this incident underscores a major problem. Ever since the deadly fire which took the life of train operator Garrett Goble in March of 2020, the MTA has instituted NO safety features which would help us in a fire.

In fact, the MTA has actually enacted a policy which would create MORE fire hazards, by allowing e-bikes on subways and buses https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-mta-policy-permits-personal-electric-vehicles-on-mass-transit/4273691/?amp=1 . On New Year’s Day an e-bike caught on fire on a subway train in Toronto, Canada https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/01/01/ttc-sheppard-yonge-subway-train-fire-ebike-lithium-ion-batteries/ . Unfortunately one person did suffer second-degree burns and two others had minor injuries.

The MTA refuses to put fire extinguishers on our trains. Fire extinguishers every 600 feet in the tunnels are no help if you’re between 2 of them, 300 feet away from each of them in heavy smoke. But do you know who does have fire extinguishers on their trains? The MTA’s own Long Island Railroad. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was watching an unrelated video on YouTube about the operations of Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal https://youtu.be/_5lpT9FaJbU?si=KQT0Ij10RUIDaiOw (see the fire extinguisher on the train at the 35:15 mark) and the crew member opened a compartment as part of his pre-trip inspection, containing a number of emergency items, one of which was a fire extinguisher. There was no fear of theft because the compartment was locked. 

So this begs the question, if there is a fire on your train or bus and you can’t put out the fire, do you have to stay with the vehicle like a Sea Captain and “go down with the ship?” Well, as a public employee of New York State, the answer is no. In a 2020 decision by the NYS Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), while deciding that although the teachers in this particular case violated the Taylor Law by calling in sick after someone threatened to shoot up their school, PERB also made the determination that “…refusal to perform a task because of a bona fide fear of personal injury does not constitute participation in a strike.” 

In addition, as a Transit employee in the United States covered by the National Transit Systems and Security Act, you are protected under section 1142(b) of this Act if “the hazardous condition presents an imminent danger of death or serious injury.” Your only requirement is to report the hazardous condition and your intention not to perform further work, which for us would be done over the radio.

Recently the MTA has made two questionable decisions relating to fire safety. First, in an attempt to slow down the amount of fare evasion going on in the system, they’re adding a 15 second delay to the emergency exits https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/newyork/news/mta-emergency-exit-doors-delayed-fare-evasion/ . This means that in an emergency such as a fire, the door won’t open until 15 seconds after you hit the bar to open the door. While this was technically approved by the appropriate safety authorities, I don’t think anyone wants to wait 15 seconds in an emergency before the door opens so you can escape. Second, the MTA recently ordered R211T “open-gangway” subway cars. A memo whose contents can be found at https://gothamist.com/news/mtas-fancy-new-open-gangway-subway-trains-cant-run-on-express-tracks-per-memo , states that these new cars aren’t allowed to run on the express tracks. I found that to be a bit curious, but a search into the matter reveals that they may actually pose a fire hazard on long stretches where there are no stations nearby. “One of the primary challenges with implementing open gangway cars in the NYC and US markets is addressing fire resistance and suppression concerns, in compliance with post-1990 ADA regulations and other relevant laws. The selection of open gangway cars may necessitate their deployment on specific subway lines due to factors such as emergency egress requirements and station-to-station distances. (https://www.instagram.com/subways_io/p/Cydg6xGr9Nx/?img_index=1).

Everyone talks about how these new cars will allow the smells of feces and marijuana to spread, but let’s not forget that fire and smoke spread very quickly as well. While the MTA is doing the right thing by keeping these trains off the express tracks, it is very concerning to think that they even bought open-gangway trains that don’t have the proper fire resistance and suppression systems already in place.