WHITE PLAINS – Westchester County is urging residents to give the gift of safety on Black Friday and throughout the holiday shopping season when purchasing items that require lithium-ion batteries and the charging devices that go with them.
Damaged or poor-quality lithium-ion batteries, and aftermarket chargers and cords, have been responsible for several deadly fires in New York and across the nation. Residents and businesses can reduce their risk of fire by using lithium-ion on batteries and chargers that were designed by the manufacturer for its specific product.
“Mixing and matching lithium-ion batteries, chargers or cords is literally a recipe for disaster,” County Executive George Latimer said. “Using the correct battery and charging devices is the law in Westchester and essential to keeping our residents safe.”
Consumers should purchase products that have been tested and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (such as Underwriters Laboratories).
County Commissioner of Emergency Services Richard Wishnie said that lithium-ion batteries can be found in a wide range of consumer products. These include items that are likely to be popular this holiday gift-giving season:
- Cell phone portable power banks;
- Drones;
- Ride-on electric toy vehicles;
- E-scooters and E-bikes.
Douglas Stiller, chief of special operations at the Department of Emergency Services, said DES personnel have responded to fires caused by all the devices listed above. Fires have also been caused by batteries in hoverboards, cordless vacuums and lawnmowers, vaping devices, laptops and cell phones.
Stiller noted that an online search he recently conducted revealed a growing range of toys that are now powered by lithium-ion batteries.
“Due to the larger amounts of energy being stored, these batteries have a lower tolerance for abuse, such as being dropped or stepped on. People should be aware of this, particularly when the toys are being used by younger children,” he said.
