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Death by fire in New York City is at an all-time low. Fire Department Commissioner Sal Cassano reported that 60 people died in 2010 compared to 73 people in 2009. The FDNY should definitely receive a great deal of the praise for the courageous job that they do. Keep in mind that there’s a proposal to close 20 engine companies in the evenings. This, in an effort to save $15 million annually. Let’s hope that city officials keep the emphasis on reducing fire death numbers before making unwise budget cuts that might directly raise their total.
New York City’s firefighters got a well-deserved contract increase. No amount of money can adequately compensate these brave men and women of the NYFD who run towards fire that most humans instinctively know to run away from. Let’s hope that the economy and improved budget management by city officials permit additional raises for them and other vital city workers in the near future.
The FDNY reported that 18 EMT workers who complained about the department’s new boots were reassigned to desk jobs. These boots became mandatory footwear on September 8th. Workers started "kicking up a storm" shortly afterwards. They claim the 8-inch-high, leather-and-fabric footwear causes bleeding, rashes, back pain ... even stress fractures! The FDNY is awaiting delivery of alternatives. IF, there’s nothing wrong with the boots, why order the alternatives? IF, as this pending delivery suggests, there may be something wrong with the boots, why keep highly trained and necessary technicians with their aching feet up on desks? Let them wear what they were wearing before September 8th. Get them back in their trucks where they belong! Lifesavers like these professional men and women shouldn’t be "kicking back" in New York City.
Many believe the United Nations to be a corrupt, anti-American and very dangerous organization for much of the world. Now, city officials say the UN is perilous to New Yorkers because of the UN's failure to resolve fire hazards in their headquarters. When the UN decided to abandon certain mandatory repairs, the FDNY suggested that all public tours be stopped. As a result, all public school trips for the 2008-2009 school year have been cancelled. In 2007, the United Nations east side complex had its first safety inspection since 1952; a checkup they vehemently fought against. Unbelievably, a total of 866 fire code violations were found! Despite the report on their risky buildings, a UN spokesman voiced confidence that the building was safe and that they looked forward to welcoming the world’s delegates. The United Nations isn’t a very popular group with most Americans and for good reason. I’m sure more than one American wouldn’t mind having many of the foreign ambassadors and delegations gathered together in a “firetrap.” UN officials often fail to act quickly enough to protect troubled people the world over. With their care-free attitude regarding their own dangerous Manhattan digs, “it’s déjà vu all over again.”
The FDNY and the city’s Buildings Department ordered that Manhattan’s Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village stop erecting "pressurized walls" in residential units. It’s thought that these walls create fire hazards for residents and firefighters. Tishman Speyer, the company which owns the 110-building complex, had been converting 1-bedroom apartments into 2-bedrooms by subdividing living rooms. Prices for a 1-bedroom unit start at $2,995 so it’s easy to understand their motivation. The company issued no comment. Their silence may be due to "the pressure of being backed up against their own wall."
Poor behavior and recent booze and broad scandals of some New York City firefighters is forcing officials in the Fire Department to try to clean up it’s public image. One way to do this, they believe, is to eliminate politically incorrect nicknames for firehouses. After a three year battle with a firehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the FDNY has prevailed. That means the “Happy Hookers” firehouse in Red Hook is no more. Gone too is the moniker “Southern Comfort” in Staten Island, “Animal House” in the Bronx and “Fosters” in Brooklyn. Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta believes this is the right approach. Perhaps more severe punishment should be meted out to specific individuals who bring shame to the Fire Department rather than cutting out part of the spirit and camaraderie which all fire personnel and many neighborhood residents enjoy.
