By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ

DC 37 members are often first in line to prepare for and respond to climate disasters.

In recent years, members of Local 1506 New York City Parks Department Climbers and Pruners and Local 1322 New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Supervisory Employees have used their expertise to adapt to the effects of climate change despite experiencing vacancies in their respective departments.

Parks on Fire

In November 2024, after weeks of rainless skies and a record number of brush fires, Local 1506 members were called to assist the NYC Fire Department (FDNY) in combatting park wildfires worsened by drought conditions.

Well-acquainted with smaller fires from hot barbecue charcoal discarded at the base of flammable trees, Local 1506 Vice President Jose Torres had never experienced fires of such scale in more than a decade of service. His team faced a large blaze in Inwood Hill Park alongside firefighters.

“FDNY needed experts to assist because they’re unaccustomed to safely dealing with so many large trees,” Torres said. “They tried to put out the fires but trees were still burning inside while wind spread the fire to brush on the ground.”

Flames quickly engulfed thirsty trees, often shooting up 90 feet into the canopies and making it unsafe for the Climbers and Pruners to cut and dispose of felled trees. When the flames grew too large, FDNY took over. The two agencies worked in tandem to contain the blaze.

Climbers and Pruners are the primary responders for all of the city’s downed trees due to flooding, fire, wind, or natural deterioration. Armed with aerial lifts, cranes, saws, and climbing systems, their techniques mitigate damage to people and public areas while keeping parks and streets clear for emergency services.

“If a tree isn’t cut properly, the pressure can cause the tree to debark (explode), or pop up and injure you if there’s kickback from the chainsaw,” said Eric Gibson, president of Local 1506. “Not everyone can do this job. That’s why we’re required to climb, cut, rig, and demonstrate life-saving knots as part of the test requirement for the title.”

As climate change worsens severe weather conditions, it becomes more difficult for Climbers and Pruners to tend to the backlog of requests the already short-staffed unit faces.

When the Water Runs Dry

The Delaware Aqueduct, New York City’s largest water source, accounts for 66% of the area’s drinking water.

Last fall, a plan to repair leaks in the aqueduct meant a scheduled shutdown of the pipeline while temporarily drawing from other reservoirs, which coincided with an unexpected drought declaration on Nov. 24. The lack of rainfall and low elevation levels hindered the time frame.

Eric Kleeman, Watershed Maintainer Supervisor Level III in Local 1322, oversees Watershed Maintainers in Local 376 who monitor, inspect, and treat drinking water 100 feet underground at the DEP Hillview Reservoir Plant in the Bronx.

Last year, Kleeman’s teams were tasked with preparing the reservoir to supplement the water supply during the aqueduct shutdown.

“We’ve been burning the midnight oil for the better part of a year now,” Kleeman said. “Although we have a policy that they shouldn’t work over 16 hours, some workers have 20-hour shifts. DEP has a difficult time hiring and retaining people.”

Critically low water levels in supplementary reservoirs meant the aqueduct could not be serviced according to plan.

“We had a very in-depth plan with certain water elevation flags that set off an alarm when there wasn’t an appropriate amount in the watershed,” Kleeman said. “When we hit that elevation, we had to cease operations and reopen the aqueduct.”

Rain and snow in recent months have replenished reservoir levels to storage capacity. There will be another attempt to repair the aqueduct in the spring.

“This is something not really in anyone’s control, so all you can do is adapt,” Kleeman said. “Anything can happen with Mother Nature.”