New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams joined a City Council hearing on Feb. 10 to scrutinize how the city handled a historic stretch of extreme cold during which 18 New Yorkers died outside, his office said.

The joint hearing of the Council’s Committees on General Welfare and Public Safety was aimed at examining the city’s response to the winter weather and its preparedness for future incidents, according to the Public Advocate’s office. The office said the 18 New Yorkers lost their lives outdoors during the cold spell.