NFPA Journal - Fall 2022 - 47

that advises fire departments internationally
on creating site-specific emergency
response plans for energy storage
systems in their jurisdictions. " Any
time we're talking about asking people
to keep their bikes or scooters outside,
crime is always a concern. " An article
that appeared in New York magazine
and the tech news website The Verge
detailed how New York City's food delivery
workers are sometimes jumped and
violently beaten for their e-bikes, which
are easy to run off with and typically cost
anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000.
" I think it would be a difficult ban to
enforce unless there's a fire, or if a resident
reports another neighbor for keep " E-bikes
are an
important alternative
mode of transportation
that is particularly
affordable when
compared to cars.
Therefore, I think it
would be particularly
odd to ban e-bikes
solely for people with
limited incomes. "
ing a device in their home, " said Bob Duval,
director of the northeast region for
NFPA. At the same time, Duval said, he
wasn't surprised by the proposed ban,
considering that New York " seems to
have a fire daily involving e-bikes or their
batteries. "
The proposed ban isn't entirely without
precedent-NYCHA leases already
prohibit residents from storing gas-powered
mopeds inside buildings. In a
way, the question has become whether
e-bikes are akin to traditional bicycles
or more like mopeds, a debate that has
raged for years-and will likely continue
for years to come. Much of the conversation
centers on whether e-bikes belong
in bike lanes or among vehicular traffic.
E-bikes remain technically illegal to
ride on public roads in some cities, but
that doesn't stop a lot of riders from doing
exactly that. With the proposed ban
on the table, whether e-bikes should be
kept outside or inside buildings could be
the next big question up for debate.
In Nick Petrakis's opinion, enforcement
of any e-bike or e-scooter regulation has
to be accompanied by public education
efforts designed to reverse the mindset
of some micromobility advocates who
insist that e-bikes " don't catch fire. "
Petrakis, an engineer and former assistant
deputy director at the FDNY's Bureau
of Fire Prevention who now works
with Rogers at the ESRG, was instrumental
in writing the recent changes to the
city's fire code pertaining to electric micromobility
devices. " I was in Queens a
few days ago, and I was walking down
the street and I passed a couple of bike
shops and they had eight or nine e-bikes
parked outside, " Petrakis said. " I peeked
inside, and they had way more e-bikes
charging in there, which could be a violation
of the new code language that requires
enhanced protection for areas
with more than five devices. These industries
just aren't that familiar with the
fire code. "
Rogers agreed with Petrakis about the
need for increased education and pointed
to restaurants as another occupancy
type where building owners may not be
educated enough on the hazard the new
technology introduces. " I know there
are restaurants in the city that have purchased
several e-bikes for their delivery
workers and they just aren't familiar with
what fire safety measures should be in
place where these bikes are being stored
and charged, " he said.
In an email to NFPA Journal, a spokesperson
for NYCHA said the housing authority
would be taking public comments
on its proposal through September 6, " at
which time NYCHA will review stakeholder
feedback and amend the rule accordingly. "
The authority said the ban could
go into effect as soon as October.
On Reddit, a popular social media site
that hosts several forums for e-bike enthusiasts,
many have spoken out about
the proposed ban and even indicated
they wouldn't follow it if it did pass. " I really
hope this doesn't happen, " one user
wrote. " I can't afford a car. I won't let
them take my bike. " -A.V.
fumes and generally require copious
amounts of water to extinguish. Even
when lithium-ion battery fires appear
to be out, the batteries can reignite days
or even weeks later due to energy that
remains trapped inside the damaged
battery cells. " It's scary, frankly, how fast
the environment in the fire area diminishes,
how severe the fire becomes in a
matter of a second or two, " Jardin said.
Cities weigh the risk
After a fatal fire involving an e-bike in
New York City in December, Jardin said
the city's fire commissioner banned
e-bikes and e-scooters from FDNY
headquarters, with the exception of
devices used by disabled people. As of
April, the New York City Fire Code has
also included limitations on storing or
charging more than five electric micromobility
devices in one area.
The fire code change was made to
target the kinds of situations that led
to the garage fire in Minnesota. " This
provision was intended to effectively
prevent use of dwelling units to warehouse
and charge fleet e-bikes and
other activities involving the bulk storage
and charging of powered mobility
devices, " Julian Bazel, director of the
FDNY Bureau of Fire Prevention's Code
Development Unit, said in a statement
sent to NFPA Journal. If a building
owner wants to provide a space for residents
or workers to store and charge
their personal e-bikes or e-scooters,
they can, Bazel added, as long as they
provide increased protection measures
like sprinklers and fire-rated doors and
walls.
The city could take things a step further
with a proposed rule that would
ban e-bikes and e-scooters from all
public housing, a move that has generated
widespread and vocal opposition
(see " Big Apple E-ban? " on this spread).
That resistance could soon be felt elsewhere,
too, as e-bikes and e-scooters
continue to grow in popularity.
In some places, that back-and-forth
has already occurred. After officials
in London announced an e-bike
and e-scooter ban for the Palace of
Westminster, they received backlash
from bicycle advocacy groups, members
of the public, and members of
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NFPA Journal - Fall 2022

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