FDNY’s latest fire safety warning targets New York’s e-bike riders
Iain Hoey
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FDNY celebrates 100 years of Fire Prevention Week
The New York Fire Department (FDNY) marked 100 years of National Fire Prevention Week on Tuesday 7 October 2025 with its annual Fire Safety Day at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Students from schools across all five boroughs joined the event to learn key fire safety lessons from the FDNY Fire Safety Education Unit.
The Department’s mascots, Hot Dog and Siren, attended alongside demonstrations from the FDNY’s robotics and K-9 units.
FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker declared 2025 as “Fire Prevention Year in New York City” in March.
The Department relaunched its #GetAlarmedNYC campaign on Monday in partnership with the FDNY Foundation and the American Red Cross.
The initiative aims to install thousands of free smoke alarms in homes throughout the city.
According to the Department, more than 300,000 smoke alarms have been installed since the programme began in 2015.
The FDNY and FDNY Foundation continue to provide fire and life safety information at thousands of events and locations across the five boroughs each year.
PSA highlights lithium-ion battery fire risks
To commemorate the centenary of National Fire Prevention Week, the FDNY released a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) warning about the dangers of fires caused by e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries.
The Department said the PSA aims to raise awareness of explosive e-bike fires, which can be extremely dangerous, fast-moving and sometimes fatal.
The video urges the public to only use lithium-ion batteries that are safety certified by a nationally accredited testing lab such as UL.
Robert S. Tucker, FDNY Commissioner, said: “Every New Yorker needs to understand that uncertified lithium-ion batteries and tampered e-bikes pose a serious and growing fire danger.
“It also allows us to coordinate better with neighbouring services.
“This PSA is part of our ongoing effort to educate the public and prevent tragedies before they happen.
“Fire prevention starts with awareness, and together, we can keep our city safe.”
The PSA was filmed at the FDNY Fire Academy on Randall’s Island, where the Department’s Haz-Mat unit triggered a thermal runaway of an e-bike confiscated by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The e-bike was donated to the FDNY for training and public outreach purposes.
E-bike and lithium-ion battery safety advice
As part of its campaign, the FDNY issued practical advice for safely charging and storing e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries.
The Department recommends charging and storing e-bikes outdoors whenever possible.
It warns against using aftermarket chargers or accessories, charging batteries while asleep or away, and using damaged or overcharged batteries.
The FDNY also emphasises keeping exits clear and never blocking escape routes during charging.
For further information on lithium-ion battery and micromobility device safety, the Department directs the public to FDNYSmart.org.
The FDNY Foundation, the Department’s official nonprofit organisation, supports the PSA and its broader fire prevention programmes.
Relevance for fire and safety professionals
The FDNY’s renewed focus on lithium-ion battery fires reflects a rising trend in urban fire incidents linked to micromobility devices.
Fire investigators, safety officers and risk assessors can apply the Department’s findings when designing public education programmes and community risk reduction initiatives.
Procurement and compliance professionals may also take interest in the Department’s emphasis on nationally accredited testing for batteries, such as UL certification, when specifying or approving electrical devices for public use.
Training officers and fire engineers involved in hazard simulation and testing may note the FDNY’s use of controlled thermal runaway demonstrations as an outreach and training method.