By Gus Saltonstall
A rapid delivery center on the Upper West Side, otherwise known as a “dark store,” was just issued two violations for failing to safely handle lithium-ion batteries, and failing to maintain a proper fire system, West Side Rag has exclusively learned.
On November 14, the FDNY Special Inspection Unit visited GETIR at 2681 Broadway, near the corner of West 102nd and Broadway, which is app-based, quick-service grocery center that does not allow customers inside, but instead deploys a team of delivery people.
The FDNY issued the following two violations.
- Violation issued for failing to provide and maintain a working fire protection system
- Failing to comply with standards associated with charging and storage of lithium-ion batteries. Violation issued for charging more than five batteries and devices closely together.
The FDNY visited the store after a constituent reached out to Councilmember Gale Brewer’s office to alert her to the dangerous-looking storage of the ion batteries. Brewer was then able to notify the FDNY, which quickly visited the store and issued the violations.
The Special Inspection Unit will return to the GETIR store multiple times to ensure the violations have been corrected.
Ion-lithium batteries used in electric scooters and bikes continues to be a growing safety issue across the city. On Monday morning, two people were sent to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after flames possibly connected to a lithium-ion battery broke out in a building on Broadway between West 98th and 99th streets.
Since January 2023, lithium-ion batteries have sparked 217 fires in New York that have led to 120 injuries and 17 deaths.
Brewer, who has already passed multiple pieces of legislation on the subject, is currently advocating for the installation of battery kiosks where e-bike and e-scooter riders can exchange their depleted batteries with fully charged one.
Popwheels, a Brooklyn-based startup already provides the service on a smaller scale.
Other already-enacted legislation, including Local Law 42, prohibits the assembly or recondition of a used lithium-ion battery, which makes them more dangerous.
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The entire building is at risk of blowing up.
“The FDNY visited the store after a constituent reached out to Councilmember Gale Brewer’s office to alert her to the dangerous-looking storage of the ion batteries. ”
Lithium ion batteries. Basically all batteries are ion batteries, including the safe ones.
What could go wrong with that planned charging station at West 71st Street and Broadway in the pedestrian triangle south of the IRT blockhouse?
You sometimes see passengers on subway cars with cycles powered by lithium batteries. If one of these things goes off on a subway car where the exits to the adjoining cars are locked it would be very bad. People will panic and pull the emergency cord stopping the train, but I do not think that will allow passengers to exit the subway car to adjoining cars or to the subway tunnel.
Am definitely anxious when I am in a subway car with an ebike.
I see e-bikes on the subway daily and almost daily, see stand-up type e-scooters.
See heavier vehicles like “moped/vespas” less often, perhaps a few times a month.
But it varies depending upon what subway line…..
The batteries are the most dangerous when being charged, or punctured.
Happily, the former is impossible — at least for now — on. a subway car. The platforms may be a different matter.
I “like” when the drivers of the machines drive down the platform.
The MTA should never have allowed the mopeds on subway trains/platforms.
The MTA has never allowed mopeds in the subway.
“New York law defines limited use motorcycles, which are commonly called “mopeds” or “motor scooters”, as “limited use vehicles with two or three wheels.””
The MTA most certainly allows mopeds on the subway; that’s what throttle e-bikes are.
I haven’t been on the subway since February of ’22 so I haven’t seen this happening myself, but there are numerous videos of motorized vehicles on the subway platforms and trains (going back 3-4 years), so why isn’t the MTA or the NYPD doing anything to stop it?
Glad they are on the case! Scary.
In October 2023 , there was a massive fire in a Brooklyn storage facility where people had ebikes and batteries in storage.
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/fdny-firefighter-injured-battling-blaze-at-brooklyn-storage-unit-containing-e-bikes-lithium-ion-batteries/
What is the City and Adams waiting for? This is only getting worse all the time! Get rid of them for Pete’s sake or wait until someone’s kid is blown away! I doubt even that would change anything in this pitiful city.
Let’s also take a look at the windows fronting Broadway – giant white ventilation tubing and some kind of air unit – nothing attractive – all backroom mechanicals that should not be in a store front. Yet another assault on quality of life. Where’s the landmarks commission when you actually need them?
Rear ventilation would be as bad, reaching all the back windows of nearby buildings.
Many storefronts don’t have a rear ventilation, so they have to vent in the front.
OMG. Someone gave Gale Brewer a little credit.
This is scary as there is one such shop only two doors down from me, where they moved into a storefront.