Transcript: Mayor Adams Holds Briefing To Discuss Extreme Heat Expected This Week

Camille Joseph Varlack, Chief of Staff to the Mayor: Good morning, everyone. My name is Camille Joseph Varlack and I serve as Chief of Staff to the mayor as well as Extreme Weather Coordinator for New York City. 

Our administration is laser focused on protecting public safety, rebuilding our economy, and creating a more livable city for working class New Yorkers. Today we are here to share information about our ongoing efforts to keep New Yorkers safe amidst the week's heatwave. I'm pleased to turn it over to Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much Camille. In the Police Academy, and I'm sure Commissioner Iscol will agree, it's about muscle memory, muscle memory, muscle memory. That's why each time we face one of these heatwaves, we want to really just reinforce what we've shared over and over again so that the muscle memory and automatic reflexes will kick into gear on what New Yorkers could do. 

Clearly the summer is here, everyone enjoyed the beautiful outdoors, it was a lovely weekend to be outdoors this weekend, but in the midst of another heatwave this week, we want folks to take extra precaution. 

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory that is in effect through tomorrow at 10 a.m., is that a.m. or p.m., let me be clear, a.m., okay, I just want to be clear. High heat and humidity are also being forecast over the next few days. We expect to see heat indexes as high as 101 degrees through tomorrow and potentially into Wednesday. I just want New Yorkers to know, do not underestimate the heat. We have seen extreme heat impacts the western United States the past two weeks, and more than 19 cities in the west, including Las Vegas, have broken temperature records, and at least 28 people have died. 

This heat is not normal, we've said it over and over again, climate change is here and is real, and it is a clear and present danger. As I said before, a heatwave can be deadly and life-threatening if you are not prepared. Our city is prepared, the entire apparatus is coordinating together, including the MTA and Con Edison, and here over at OEM. We have more than 500 cooling centers in our network, and that includes our libraries, as we're joined with our library team, who's really letting people know it's a welcome place as we deal with the heat. 

They were open yesterday and will be open at least today and Tuesday for New Yorkers to keep cool. I just want to remind New Yorkers that there are specifically pet-friendly cooling centers in every borough, that's why we have sushi, vegan sushi is his name is Sushi. Our beaches will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily, and we extended hours at our Olympic and intermediate pools, they will be open from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m. And mini pools will be open 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. And I'm really excited about how the team, Commissioner Donoghue and her team, they have already surpassed last year's total number of lifeguards, and we're still bringing new lifeguards on through the end of July. 

New Yorkers can find additional ways to stay cool online at our cool options map at finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters, or by calling 311. I made clear weeks ago, having a working air conditioner in your home is one of the most effective ways to guard against heat emergencies, and for low-income New Yorkers, they can apply to receive an air conditioner at no charge through the Federal Home Energy Assistance Program while funding lasts. 

We are in constant communication with our utility partners, including Con Edison, and PSEG Long Island, and we will be monitoring the electrical system, please try to minimize use to avoid any blackouts. The system can be stressed, and when temperatures rise, we urge New Yorkers to be mindful of their energy consumption. 

We'll walk the walk, too, with more than 600 city buildings reducing energy consumption to ease pressure on our grid, the equivalent of powering down 12 Empire State buildings. Please make sure to check on your neighbors, it's important, those who are dealing with respiratory issues or dealing with health issues, just really check in on them. 

For everyone, don't forget to drink plenty of water so you can stay hydrated, and if you must go outside, take a break, and the same for our four-legged friends, make sure that they're taking a break as well. New Yorkers, I encourage you to sign up for Notify NYC, the city's free emergency notification system, which will keep everyone updated about weather and air quality issues. 

Notify NYC is available in 14 languages, including American Sign Language, and the administration has made public safety the center of everything we do, and that includes preparing for weather emergencies and protecting our fellow New Yorkers, and we want to remind all of you to do the same. New Yorkers, look out for each other, and make sure we stay cool during the summer. Thank you very much.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you, Mayor Adams. Every day, members of the New York City Emergency Management Team work tirelessly to ensure that our city is prepared to respond to whatever Mother Nature sends our way. I'd now like to introduce Commissioner Zach Iscol.

Commissioner Zach Iscol, New York City Emergency Management: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Camille, and welcome to everybody here today. Bottom line, it is going to be hot. It is hot. The heat index is predicted to hit approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit, that's 37.7 degrees Celsius in Central Park today, 102 or 38.8 degrees Celsius tomorrow, and 100 degrees or 37.7 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. 

It's also been hot the past couple of days, but you will really start feeling it tomorrow. There will also be little respite from the heat overnight. That's important for people to understand and to know that we are not going to have very cool evenings over the next couple of days where you'll get respite from the heat. As the mayor said, there's also an AQI warning out there for unhealthy for sensitive groups, so people need to pay attention to that. I also just want to take a minute and thank everybody for all their incredible work. 

The mayor has often talked about how growing up the city betrayed him, that there was a lot of times when the city didn't do its work on behalf of him and his family, and it's one of the reasons he ran for office. Whether it's the mayor, whether it's our extreme weather coordinator Camille, down to the men and women who have been working throughout the month of June, even earlier than that as we've been contending with this heat, it is all hands-on deck to make sure we are delivering for New Yorkers. 

And it has been hot. Last year, 2023, was the warmest year in the global temperature record. This June was the planet's 13th consecutive month to break global heat records. It beat the record set last year for the hottest June on record. Since June 1st this year, this is incredible, I had a conversation with our meteorologist. We have an amazing meteorologist here, Josh Rapp, who loves to talk about this stuff. Since June 1st, nearly 75 percent of daily max temps in Central Park were above normal. That's this year alone. 

As we continue to break records, as we continue to contend with heat, it's important for New Yorkers to know that there's a lot the city is doing. Heat is something that is very serious. It kills more people than any other weather event. That's why some folks refer to heat as a silent storm. We have three priorities when it comes to heat. Number one is public messaging and hazard awareness. We can't do that without our partners in the press. Life safety and minimizing impacts to public health and health services, and then minimizing impacts to infrastructure. 

To do this, we coordinate very closely with city agencies and relevant partners to ensure an effective and cohesive response. NYCEM has been organizing daily calls where agencies and our private utility partners gather to report on their activities, needs, and plans for the heat emergency. We also take a multi-channel approach to distributing information. That's not just social media. That's not just NotifyNYC. It's also getting information out through our 700 CERT volunteers, our 37 strengthening community nonprofit partners. We send information out to every single elected in the city, asking them to share this information with their constituents. In addition to activating what we call our advanced warning system, where we disseminate information to government and non-government organizations that serve people with disabilities or access and functional needs. Think of homeless service providers, disability organizations, dialysis centers. 

Then, of course, working with DOHMH, Greater New York Hospital Association, Health and Hospitals, FDNY, to report out data, track what's happening around the city, and what we might need to respond to. These agencies are doing things like activating a code red at DSS to take care of our homeless population. ConEd, doing a lot of work to protect the grid. DCAS will be implementing a demand response where we reduce energy consumption at city buildings to help protect the grid. Parks has extended pool hours. We have a beach safety task force that is out and about. We have opened our cooling centers. 

While there is a lot that the city is doing, there's also a lot that New Yorkers can do to beat the heat. To start, you can go to nyc.gov\beattheheat. You can see the map for our cooling center finder, cool options that we have available there, places that you can find respite from the heat for yourself and your loved ones. I encourage all New Yorkers to check in on their vulnerable neighbors, particularly those who have disabilities, accessibility, and functional needs to make sure that they are supported. As I mentioned, the Department of Homeless Services has issued a code red. If an individual who appears to be homeless and in need to get out of the heat, please call 311. If it's an emergency, you can call 911, and an outreach team will be dispatched to offer assistance. 

Encourage people in your life to seek out cool options. That can be a cooling center. There's a lot of other cool places around the city. We have libraries. We have movie theaters. There's houses of worship. There's a lot of places you can go to escape the heat. Then, I can't emphasize enough the importance of prioritizing your well-being during this heat wave. Hydrate regularly. Make sure you're consuming adequate water, even if you're not feeling thirsty. Seek shaded or air-conditioned locations whenever feasible. 

As I mentioned at nyc.gov\beattheheat, another resource we have there is information on how to apply for the program the mayor mentioned. The federal home energy assistance program, or HEAP, where you can get access to cooling systems in the summer, heating systems in the winter. 

We also need to adapt a balanced approach to energy use. We're joined today by ConEd's Jamie Brennan, the VP of electric ops, and we've been working very closely with them to monitor and support the city's energy supply. Every New Yorker can play a role in that. As I mentioned, DCAS is doing a demand response where we're reducing energy consumption in city buildings. You can do that at home, too. Don't run your large electrical appliances during peak demand times. Set your air conditioners to low cool, so you're saving on energy, but also keeping yourself cool. Those air conditioners are a critical tool in this heat wave. 

Couple last things. I want to also highlight that New York City's outdoor pools are open for the summer. Great way to provide relief during the heat wave. They will be extending operations by one hour at Olympic and intermediate size outdoor pools until 8 p.m. through Wednesday. We also have NYCEM, parks, Fire Department, and the Police Department have been coordinating on beach safety to monitor 14 miles of beaches. We want New Yorkers to enjoy the beach, but we also want to emphasize that the ocean is dangerous. Oceans only swim where there are lifeguards and only swim in front of lifeguards. 

We are working hard to make sure people understand the importance of this. We're doing the best we can to have eyes on the ocean and on the beaches. We are extending our beach support this week through our beach safety task force. We'll have additional field staff to support communications and rescue coordination and drone operations. The Fire Department will be extending tours and joining NYPD operations as well. There will also be some additional EMS personnel to support Rockaway drone teams and rescue efforts. This is a real coordination effort and strategy on the part of our operational response agencies to improve the safety of our beaches that really started with the mayor encouraging us to think creatively about ways that we can promote greater beach safety for all New Yorkers, especially during periods of high heat. 

As we navigate this heat wave, please stay vigilant by staying informed. I encourage all New Yorkers to sign up for Notify NYC, our free emergency alert system. It's available in 14 languages. You can sign up at NYC.gov/notify by calling through 1 or by downloading the app from the app store. Stay alert for symptoms of heat illness, hot, dry skin, confusion, weakness, difficult breathing. If these symptoms appear, don't hesitate to call 911. The city is on standby. Our emergency teams are on standby. We're doing a lot of work. Encourage all New Yorkers to take this seriously and do their part as well.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Iscol. During extreme heat events, the health and safety of New York City residents is a top priority. It is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Ashwin Vasan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Good morning, everyone. Good to be here with you. We are here once again and with this whole of city, all of administration response to reemphasize that climate change and extreme heat is a public health crisis, and so we are approaching it with the same sense of urgency, coordination, and focus that we would any other public health crisis. 

Over 300 New Yorkers die every year of heat-related deaths. Every single one, heat-exacerbated or heat-related deaths, every single one of those is preventable. Over 400 New Yorkers end up in our emergency rooms and hospitals due to complications of elevated temperatures, and so it is crucial, like with any other public health response, it's not just a set of individual actions. It's not just a set of institutional actions by government and other agencies and other institutions in our city. It's both of those things coming together to keep New Yorkers safe and to save lives, and so I want to emphasize the core four messages that we want every New Yorker to understand. 

Number one, listen to your body. Your body is the best signal and arbiter of how the heat is affecting you. Heat affects everyone differently, but it is essential to take the steps to protect yourself by understanding first what are the signs that the heat may be having an effect on you. Things like cold and clammy skin. The body releases sweat in order to cool itself, but there's a point at which it can no longer release sweat, and the skin becomes either excessively hot or excessively cool over time because circulation is worsened. That is a bad sign. That is a sign that you've been affected by the heat. 

A high body temperature, so if you take your temperature using a thermometer, if you start to see it get above 102, 103, that the heat is having an effect on you. If you're starting to feel confused or your speech is slurred, if your pulse is fast and unable to slow down, if you have a headache, nausea, trouble breathing, weakness or dizziness, or if you feel like you want to lose consciousness or you're about to lose consciousness, these are all signs that the heat's having an effect on you. It's crucial to get indoors, and if needed, call 911 for help and get to a health care provider immediately. It's essential that we build, as the mayor said, the muscle memory or, frankly, just a set of habits that we now have to approach as our new normal, and it starts with each of us understanding how the heat might be affecting us. 

I want to add that people on certain medications might be at higher risk. If you are taking blood pressure medications, you are at greater risk of dehydration, and so it's essential that you not only keep taking your medications, but you stay ahead on your hydration and you watch out for these signs. If you are on medications, heart medications like beta blockers, this can reduce the sensitivity or the ability of your body to recognize the signs of heat-related illness because of the way that it affects our blood vessels. 

There are other medications that we must take account for, things like, basic things like aspirin and ibuprofen, painkillers and other medications. If you're on any other medication that might dehydrate you normally, it's important to read the instructions of your pills, to talk to your doctor if you have any questions about whether you should continue taking your medications. 

Number two, stay hydrated. As you heard folks say, it's critical to stay ahead of your fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty. We have the best drinking water in the world here. Drink it. Drink it often, early, carry around a bottle, do whatever you can to keep ahead on your fluids. If you want to, you can add electrolyte solutions or drink electrolyte drinks, but we encourage everyone at least to drink water to avoid a lot of caffeine intake and to certainly avoid alcohol, both of which can be extremely dehydrating. 

Number three, get indoors when you can. Of course, more than half of the heat-related complications and illnesses and deaths that occur every year in New York City happen in people who live in homes without air conditioning. It's essential to get inside, and you've already heard my colleagues talk about our cooling options and where you can find them, 311, finder.nyc.gov/coolingoptions, and you can get to where you need to go in your community, whether it's a city-run site, a library, or another institution that can keep you cool. 

Lastly, check in on others, including our furry friends, which are here. Check in on everyone, people who are elderly, older adults, people who have underlying medical conditions, people who live alone, all of whom are at higher risk of complications for heat, people who have difficulty with mobility. These are also people who have greater risk of heat-related complications. Please check in on them. All it takes is a phone call or a knock on the door. At a moment when things are pretty divisive, this is an opportunity for us to come together to protect each other. We're in this together to save lives, to keep ourselves safe, and we will get through this together. But this is the new normal, and those core four messages are the things that we need to develop as our normal way of doing business and our normal habits. Thank you, and I appreciate everyone's support and collaboration.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you, commissioner. Our subways and buses are the arteries of New York City, and even in a heat wave, people have to get around. Our partners at the MTA are hard at work keeping the city moving, and I'm happy to introduce our next speaker, MTA Chair and CEO, Jano Leiber.

Janno Lieber, Chair and CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority: Thank you, Camille, and thank you, Mayor Adams, for your leadership, your constant leadership in these emergency conditions and your partnership with the governor to make sure that we are doing everything possible to support New Yorkers when these weather emergencies take place. 

Before I want to get to MTA's present preparations for the heat emergency, I need to take a second to talk about one other thing. New Yorkers are thinking about heat this week, but every week they're talking about subway safety, and we have amazing statistics to report. I cannot miss the opportunity to credit the Mayor and his NYPD for the fact that last week we had a 44 percent reduction in crime versus 2023. We have this year to date, we're 8 percent down versus 2023. We have the lowest crimes per day number, felony crimes per day, in 15 years, and that's because the governor and the mayor came together in that Cops, Cameras, and Care initiative, and it is paying huge dividends. Huge kudos to the mayor and the NYPD in tandem with the governor for their tremendous leadership. 

On to today's business. We at the MTA are no stranger to extreme weather preparations, whether it's snow, rain, or extreme heat. It comes and comes, as Dr. Vasan said, in the era of climate change. In all cases, our game plan is the same, keep employees and the riders safe while providing great service. That's what we did in the first two heat waves, we're on the third one right now, and we didn't miss a beat. 99 percent of subway cars have high-functioning AC, and all of our cars are inspected when they go out of the yard and when they come back to make sure that the AC is functioning. 

We're going to have heat patrols proactively increasing track inspections, because sometimes heat has impact on track alignment, with extra staff stationed at key locations so that we can respond quickly if there is indeed some emergency condition. The same situation on the commuter railroads, Long Island Railroad and Metro North are also going to have their waiting rooms open with AC for everybody to come and cool off if that is convenient for them. Buses are on high alert, everybody knows the buses, our bus system is fully air-conditioned. Equally important, the accessorize, both the vans and the for-hire vehicles are being monitored carefully to make sure they all have air conditioning and that we're able to deliver to those folks who depend on that service for disabled and mobility-impaired New Yorkers. 

Finally, we're working closely with ConEd to make sure we're helping out with the electric grid loading by going on generator power and otherwise reducing our load impact wherever we can. Listen, for the latest updates, riders should keep a close eye on all of the usual MTA customer service channels, the train time app, that's the one for commuter railroads, the MyMTA app, we have presence on all of the social media outlets and their digital screens in stations and on cars as well. Especially, I encourage folks to, in addition to the notify app that the city has in place, we have an MTA service alert system which can send you a real-time personalized email or text for your commute and it would include conditions that are related to the weather. 

You can sign up for that on the MTA website. I also, before I throw it back to Camille and the mayor, want to acknowledge the work of our extraordinary MTA workforce who every day is putting on great service but in emergencies like this really step up, put in the extra hours and put in the extra effort to make sure that we're protecting New Yorkers and delivering top-tier service. So thank you, mayor, and to your team for your partnership and efforts.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you, chairman. Our more than 500 cooling centers include our libraries and we were so happy to have landed the plane on a budget that restored more than $58 million in funding for our libraries. It was great to see them back open yesterday and giving New Yorkers a place to cool off. We have the heads of our library systems here with us today. Tony Marx from the New York Public Library, Dennis Walcott from the Queens Public Library, and our next speaker, Linda Johnson, President of the Brooklyn Public Library.

Linda Johnson, President, Brooklyn Public Library: Thank you, Camille. Thank you, Mayor Adams. Yes, my esteemed colleagues are with me today. We've been on a celebratory tour. Yesterday we reopened our libraries to the public on a Sunday for the first time since December and in Brooklyn and throughout New York City, our branches are once again bursting with people borrowing books, enjoying live programs, and of course, staying cool. This would not have been possible even a few weeks ago, so I also extend my sincere thanks to Mayor Adams and the City Council for fully restoring funding for the city's libraries. 

Every single day of the year, including Sundays, I see people waiting outside the library to get in the first thing in the morning, especially on very hot days like today. At the library, you can come in, sit down, and stay cool all day without ever having to buy anything, no questions asked. All of New York libraries are serving as cooling centers during this heat wave. In Brooklyn, there is a library within one mile of every resident, making it convenient for everyone to find a safe, cool space to spend the day. 

While you're at the library, we hope you'll take advantage of everything it has to offer. You can use our Wi-Fi, our computers, and our meeting rooms. You can borrow a telescope or vinyl record, a board game or a sewing machine. You can listen to a story. You can learn English. You can take dance lessons or explore AI. You can learn how to write a resume, start a business, see an exhibition, or enjoy world-class performances. And of course, you can access hundreds of thousands of books. 

I encourage all New Yorkers to visit their nearest cooling center to escape the heat. Our libraries are here to provide a cool, welcoming environment for all. Together, we can ensure that everyone has a space to stay comfortable and connected. Thank you.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you, Linda. We are also working closely with our utility partners, including Con Edison. Jamie Brennan, vice president of electric operations from Con Ed, is going to share the steps we are taking to monitor and safeguard our electrical system.

Jamie Brennan, Vice President, Electric Operations: Thank you, Camille, Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Iscol, and everyone here today. I would say the Con Edison system is safe and reliable, and we are ready for the week ahead. This morning, we activated our corporate emergency response center. That allows us to monitor the system closely, coordinate with our regional control centers, all of our field crews, and all of our partners here in government to ensure we are responding safely and efficiently to customer needs. 

I think it's worth remembering this is the third heat wave. This is the third time we've been through this, the highest heat for the summer. We design the system, we invest in the system, and we plan and drill for this throughout the year. We're confident we'll get through this, as we always do. I do want to take a moment to recognize the workforce at Con Edison, incredibly skilled, dedicated personnel, working 12, 16-hour days in sweltering heat, not only above ground but underneath in manholes where temperatures can reach 110, 115 degrees. Really dedicated, committed to keeping the city flowing and keeping the lights on for our customers. 

The grid serving New York City is ten times more reliable than the national average. This level of heat, humidity, and power for air conditioning will stress the electric grid. That's why I think it's really important that we ask customers to be smart about how they use energy. Just to double click on what Commissioner Iscol mentioned, high intense energy use appliances such as laundry machines, dryers, dishwashers, if you can shift that use to after 10 p.m. or before 2 p.m., that really helps to conserve and reduce the peak demand on the grid. I would also say every degree you can raise your thermostat saves you cost, reduces impact to the environment, and further reduces stress on the grid. Really a small accumulation across individual customers can really add up and make a huge difference on overall demand across the city. I'll just close with where I started. The system is safe and reliable and ready for the week ahead. I thank you all for the opportunity to be here.

Joseph Varlack: Thank you, Jamie. With that, we'll open it up for some questions. Any questions from the press?

Question:  Hey there, Romney with NBC. Mayor Adams, at the beginning you said that climate change is here and it's very real. With climate change, do you believe that New York City will get hotter in the future?

Mayor Adams: I think the experts are clearly stating that it is going to impact us all, the entire country. I think I'll leave that up to the experts to determine if we will. What I must do is be prepared. As Commissioner Iscol and Dr. Vasan stated, that is what we're doing with the coordination with all of our partners here.

Question: My question is for Janno about the signal issues on commuter railroads. There's been recently some signal issues. Is that related to the heat? Do you think that's going to... [inaudible.]

Lieber: I didn't hear the first part of the question.

Question: There have recently been some signal issues on commuter railroads. Do you think that that's related to this heat that we're experiencing here? 

Lieber: No. I want to just be clear. We ain't New Jersey. We ain't Amtrak. Our service the last couple of weeks has been fantastic on both commuter railroads. Metro North is the premier commuter railroad in the United States with 98 percent on-time performance. Long Island Railroad, not far behind with 96 percent. We do occasionally have signal issues. That's more routine stuff. There is no meltdown on this side of the Hudson.

Question: I just wanted to ask a question about the beach task force that the commissioner mentioned. Can you just detail that a little bit more? What does that staffing look like? You did say PMS. There has been some unfortunate tragedies at the beaches. I know that many people want to go there and swim later. Can you just detail a little bit more what that looks like?

Commissioner Iscol: First off, people should not be swimming after 6 p.m. when there are no lifeguards on duty. What we have done is starting last year, the mayor had us put together an interagency team initially around after the shark attack last year. So we put together a shark protocol that involved parks, NYPD, FDNY, EMS, and ourselves. 

We have a team that is – that interagency team is out at the beaches. They have a daily ops meeting where they discuss who – which agency is going to be covering which parts of the beaches. They have the drones with the life preservers. They also are looking for sharks. Because of some of the recent incidents, what we've done is extended their hours. We've included some additional EMS personnel out there. Again, people should not be swimming after 6 p.m. without lifeguards out there. 

People should be following best practices on the beaches. Just in order to address any safety issues and make sure that the city is doing what we can do, we've increased some staffing out there during certain periods. Thank you.

Question: Oh, me? Sorry, I'm Justin Finch, PIX11 News. Mayor Adams, I suppose, I want to ask very quickly about the Summer Rising Program. Summer Rising Program? In light of the temperatures forecast today, tomorrow, the week, any changes to their schedule?

Joseph Varlack: The DOE is certainly no stranger to high heat, and especially when they're dealing with our littlest New Yorkers. They will take all the steps that are appropriate, including changing outdoor activities if they can, and just making sure that the children stay cool and hydrated.