Almost on every block from Walton Ave to 176th Street the fire plugs are being turned on while children spray water on each other and give the dirty cars free car washes. The problem remains is that there are several dangers from this type of behavior. The firemen rely on the water from the fire plugs in order to fill fire trucks and also to put out fire emergencies. The water is being wasted not only in this area but others just like it. Driving through the water pressure even with your window wipers on can cause cars to hydroplane as well as limit the drivers sight whereas they can run someone over who are front of them.

 

The children as well as their parents can be seen running into the street in front of cars while they are chasing each other so that they can throw one another into the water that is being sprayed usually by someone with a coffee can. The police are driving around the neighborhood of Morris Heights looking to stop and frisk young men and women but are ignoring a real serious problem with regards to these open fireplugs.

 

A few blocks from where an open fireplug was left on in the rainstorm and the water blew sideways mixing in with the rain causing massive flooding where cars would turn in order to merge onto the Cross Bronx expressway. There is a small park where the sprinklers are on managed by the City of New York but only a few residents walk over to the park to make use of the small sprinkler that is set in the middle of the park.

 

There are thousands of solutions for keeping cool in the summer around the neighborhood. A walk or bus ride to the pool can mean so much in the event of a fire and would save the city on resources by having the already overworked Firemen around looking for open fireplugs so that they can be turned off.

 

Education of the dangers of the opening fireplugs and wasting water is definitely in order for the Bronx residents of Morris Heights. It simply is too dangerous for children and Adults to be playing along a busy street where on average hundreds of car’s pass in an hour just to stay cool. The governing body of the Bronx closed parks that were supposed to be ready for the summer along Walton avenue that could have given a solution for this problem, but the park has not been completed and there has been no construction going on for at least 7 months. The project started workers removed the basketball courts, benches and monkey bars within a few weeks. The ground was broken and then after a month or two according to a resident the construction just stopped. The park was always somewhere where the children could go and play but now they play in the street he said as he pointed to the open fireplug as cars were slowing down not to hit the children as they ran laughing into the streets in front of a car moving slowly through the stop sign.

 

Some free summer programs for this community is definitely in order for the Mount Hope Community so that we can give the children and their parent refuge from the heat so that they are not endangering themselves playing in front of fireplugs. The Adults and Adolescence of the neighborhood have to take responsibility for these open fireplugs as well because it would be too difficult for a child to have the tool to open a fireplug and there needs to be tougher laws on opening a fireplug, because it can cause a problem in the event of an emergency.

 

In the Bronx the Borough President and the City Council elects need to take a look at the many issues that are being ignored. There is more to the Bronx than just the Grand Concourse where most of their efforts seem to be concentrated. In the Bronx community there are many children and they need educational programs and activities that will keep them from in front of the fireplugs and away from the many dangers of the Bronx streets.