Fire chief highlights rising calls, new equipment and lithium battery hazard

The fire chief (speaker 14) told council that incident responses are up and that the department is projecting roughly 3,056 calls for the year, an increase that strains staffing and mutual-aid arrangements. He listed grant successes (including a $688,000 port-security award and a $209,000 Assistance to Firefighters Grant for new air packs) and said equipment purchases and crew training remain priorities.

The chief also described the department's new Lucas mechanical CPR device and recounted its first use: "The very 1st night that we put this in service, it went to use and helped save a woman's life here in Peekskill," he said, crediting mutual-aid partners and firefighters. He warned of an uptick in lithium-ion battery fires (from e-bikes and other devices), described the high costs and special handling required to dispose of damaged batteries, and urged continued attention to staffing and collaborative public-education events (including an open house on Oct. 3).