This came in from Councilman Oliver Koppells office.
At its
meeting on August 22, 2013, the City Council passed a package of
legislation to make city vehicles cleaner and greener by reducing
harmful emissions. One bill, sponsored by Council Member
Oliver Koppell, authorizes a pilot program that would place auxiliary
power units in ambulances to supply cooling, heating and electrical
power while the vehicle’s engine is turned off.
“Every
day, the city parks more than 300 ambulances on city streets while they
wait for emergency calls. All these vehicles keep their engines
running to cool or heat the attendants or to
cool medical supplies. The diesel exhaust emitted from these idling
vehicles is a significant contributor to the city’s air pollution,”
Koppell said.
The
adverse health effects of breathing polluted air have been well
documented. These include respiratory diseases, changes in lung
function and asthma attacks, resulting in increased
mortality, hospitalizations and lost days from school or work. Everyone
is harmed by poor air quality, but children and the elderly are the
most adversely affected.
“This
pilot program will demonstrate the value of providing auxiliary power
to waiting ambulances by eliminating the need for idling and will pave
the way for equipping the entire ambulance
fleet with this technology, which will have a positive impact on air
quality in the city,”
Koppell stated.
Editors Note: It would have been better for the 51 members of the city council led by Speaker Christine Quinn to have pushed for a pilot program of "Electric Powered Ambulances", which could be built in the Bronx by Smith Electric.
