A staff member advised meeting attendees to avoid charging children’s toys, e-bikes and scooters on plug strips or near doorways, saying such setups could block escape routes and increase fire risk and reminding listeners that October is Fire Prevention Month.
“Try to avoid charging kids toys, e bikes, or scooters near the door. If there's a fire, this could block your escape route out,” the staff member said, urging residents to plug devices directly into wall outlets and to keep them separated to reduce heat buildup.
The staff member recommended avoiding power strips for charging and supervising devices while they charge. “What you want to do is plug each of these, mobility devices or e bikes or toys directly into the wall, avoid plug strips, and maybe kind of separate each of these devices out a little bit so that they're farther apart,” they said. The staff member added, “When you are charging, make sure it's supervised and someone should be awake and able to keep an eye on it while it's charging.”
The comments were presented as brief safety guidance rather than as a formal policy or new regulation; no motions, votes or formal actions were recorded on the topic during the meeting.
City residents who charge battery-powered mobility devices or children's electric toys were the intended audience for the guidance. The staff member framed the advice as practical steps households can take to reduce fire risk: plug devices directly into wall outlets, avoid plug strips for charging, separate devices while charging, and keep someone awake and supervising charging activity.