Rapid Response
NYCHA activated its Situation Room at 90 Church Street from Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21 to centralize its efforts to handle issues arising from the heat wave that struck the city during that time.
It included representatives from departments such as the Office of Emergency Management; Emergency Services; Operations; Capital Projects; Maintenance, Repairs, and Skilled Trades; Community Engagement and Partnerships; Department of Communications; and Information Technology.
The Situation Room enables staff to respond faster to emergencies, including interruptions to electrical and elevator service. First launched in 2018, the Situation Room has helped NYCHA resolve heat and hot water service interruptions faster during periods of extreme cold and snowstorms.
To prepare for the extreme heat, NYCHA also:
- Increased the number of skilled trades staff (including electricians, plumbers, and carpenters) who were on call to assist with response;
- Positioned emergency generators strategically for quick deployment to developments that experienced an extreme electrical service interruption;
- Opened eight cooling centers across the city to assist residents;
- Monitored NYCHA-operated cooling centers and air conditioning service at community centers on NYCHA property; and
- Provided extreme heat-related safety tips and cooling center locations to residents via flyers, robocalls, and social media.
“NYCHA staff was prepared to respond to any service interruptions and provide assistance to residents during this heat wave,” noted General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo. “We continue to ask our residents to report any issues by either using the MyNYCHA app or calling the Customer Contact Center so that we can better respond to any interruptions.”
