Unions Representing Over 30,000 NY Firefighters Endorse Gllibrand for Senate...

UFA, UFOA Praise Gillibrand’s Leadership As Chief Senate Sponsor of James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, Fast-Tracking Legislation Toward Passage

Gillibrand Secured First-Ever Senate Hearing on Long-Awaited Legislation

Kirsten Gillibrand today formally received the endorsement of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 94, AFL-CIO and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, IAFF Local 854, AFL-CIO, representing more than 30,000 active and retired New York City fire fighters, fire marshals, and fire officers.

The New York City firefighters and fire officers praised Senator Gillibrand for her leadership as the chief Senate sponsor of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and her efforts to fast-track the legislation toward final passage in the coming months. Nearly16,000 FDNY responders are enrolled in the WTC Health Registry, waiting for lawmakers to deliver the care they need.

“In her short time as Senator of New York State, Senator Gillibrand has demonstrated leadership and distinguished herself in the U.S. Senate,” said UFA President Steve Cassidy. “She has shown a great knowledge and understanding of the difficult and dangerous job performed by New York City Firefighters and we look forward to working with her to get the James Zadroga Bill passed in the U.S. Senate.”

“Senator Gillibrand has demonstrated an unusually deep and detailed understanding of the horrific damage done to New York City firefighters during and after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center,” said Captain Alexander Hagan, President of the UFOA. 

“Everyone knows that 343 members of the FDNY died that day, but Senator Gillibrand is one of only a few who understand that thousands of firefighters who survived the attack have been sick and dying since.”

“I am honored to have the support of New York’s brave firefighters and fire officers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “They know the 9/11 health bill shouldn’t come down to a partisan fight. We have an undeniable, moral obligation to pass this bill and provide care to the thousands of heroes and survivors who are suffering, dying, and waiting for us to deliver the care they need. It’s time to seize this opportunity and keep our promise to the heroes of this country who came to our rescue on 9/11.”

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support last month, sending the legislation to the U.S. Senate. Senator Gillibrand successfully garnered the support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to bypass a lengthy and uncertain committee process, sending the bill straight to the Senate floor for a vote in the next legislative session. Earlier this year, Senator Gillibrand secured the first-ever Senate committee hearing on the landmark legislation that 9/11 first-responders across the country are waiting on to deliver the care they need.

The long-awaited legislation would provide monitoring and treatment for WTC responders and local community members, as well as monitoring and treatment for responders who traveled from all across the country to help in the clean-up effort following 9/11. The bill would also invest in research into new conditions of the diseases many first-responders and community members suffer from as a result of exposure to the toxic fumes of Ground Zero.

Nearly 16,000 responders and 2,700 community members are currently sick and receiving treatment. Over 40,000 responders are in medical monitoring and more than 70,000 individuals are enrolled in the WTC Health Registry. While most live in the New York/New Jersey area, at least 10,000 of those who are sick or being monitored for signs of illness today live all across America. In fact, citizens in all but four Congressional districts across the country could be affected by toxins from the 9/11 attacks.

New York Rejects Plan on Firefighters’ Test Bias by Elizabeth A. Harris - NYTimes.com

Bloomberg would rather spend millions and risk public safety than obey court order to hire more minority firefighters

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The City of New York said Friday that it would not hire a new class of firefighters using proposals laid out by a federal judge, who had ruled that the test used to screen Fire Department applicants discriminated against African-Americans and Hispanics.

In a letter to the judge, Nicholas G. Garaufis of the Federal District Court in Brooklyn, Michael A. Cardoza, the city’s corporation counsel, said all of the judge’s five hiring methods involved race-based quotas that were “both illegal and unwise public policy.”

The city’s decision is the latest move in a long-running legal battle over how to diversify a firefighting force that remains overwhelmingly white.

Judge Garaufis ruled in August that the exam for firefighters used by the department discriminated against blacks and Hispanics, and he issued a temporary order prohibiting the city from hiring firefighters.

But in hearings before Judge Garaufis, the city said that if it was not able to hire a new class of firefighters, it would incur millions of dollars in overtime costs per month. The city wanted to hire about 300 firefighters.

In response, Judge Garaufis offered the city five methods it could use to hire a new class, which would, he wrote, “adequately balance the court’s duty to eradicate illegal discrimination with the need to safeguard New York’s citizens and firefighters.”

Some of his proposals were meant to ensure that the class of firefighters that was hired would have the same percentage of blacks and Hispanics as the applicant pool that took the test. Other proposals would diversify the pool of those eligible to be hired by replacing the lowest-scoring white candidates with minority candidates who had lower scores.

“I’m a little bit surprised and confused by the city’s response,” said Darius Charney, a lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing the Vulcan Society, an organization of black firefighters. The group is suing the city, claiming discrimination.

“They’ve been saying all along they wanted to hire a new class as soon as possible,” Mr. Charney said. “They were presented with a way to do that that complied with civil rights laws, and they chose not to. They’re contradicting themselves.”

The city, however, saw it differently.

“All of the options were quota based, and the city does not believe that that’s good public policy,” said Georgia Pestana, one of the city lawyers involved in the case.

Ms. Pestana said the city’s need for new firefighters was “just as urgent as it was last month when we held the hearings.” But, she added, “we decided it was important to stick to our principles; we’ll figure out a way to deal with the economic hardship this is going to cause.”

Endorsement: Uniformed Fire Officers Association Endorses Assemblyman Mike Miller

UFAO Praises Miller’s Support of First Responders

As the Primary Election season gets underway, Assemblyman Mike Miller of the 38^th Assembly District in Queens has received the endorsement of New York’s prominent Uniformed Fire Officers Association.

The UFOA represents more than 2,500 Lieutenants, Captains, Battalion Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs, Supervising Fire Marshals and Medical Officers of the New York City Fire Department.

“In Assemblyman Miller, we have a dedicated partner who will stand with us to protect New Yorkers and ensure that our first responders have the resources they need to keep our families safe,” noted Alexander Hagan, President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. “Assemblyman Miller has been with us on the front lines, fighting to keep our local firehouses open so that Queens families have the protection they deserve. The UFOA is proud to stand with 

Mike Miller in his bid for re-election to the State Assembly.”

Assemblyman Miller stated, “I am incredibly honored to have the support of the leaders of New York’s bravest. My record in the Assembly shows that I am dedicated to protecting the safety of the families in our community, and there is no better way to do that than to ensure that our local firehouses have the funding and resources needed to get the job done.”

Elected to the New York State Assembly in 2009, Mike Miller has been serving his community for more than 20 years. As a resident of the 38^th Assembly District for nearly his entire life, Miller is a graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School, Queens College and the University of Georgia CUNA Management School. His record includes expanding emergency services, improving public safety and strengthening our local schools. As a Board Member of Community Board 5, he advocated for more affordable housing, expansion of services for seniors and additional after-school programs for children. As the Capital Campaign Director for the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council, Miller helped increase the organization’s operating budget to more than $5 million. Miller has been recognized for his anti-graffiti efforts, as well as his commitment to supporting adults with mental disabilities in founding the Forest Park Aktion Club.

The 38^th Assembly District includes the Queens neighborhoods of Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, and Woodhaven.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: TODAY One Step Closer To Justice For Our 9/11 Heroes & Survivors (VIDEO)

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On September 11, 2001, when thousands of innocent men and women lost their lives, tens of thousands more came to their assistance. We as a nation saw greater acts of heroism than we could ever have imagined: first responders from all over New York and all over the country came to Ground Zero to save innocent lives, provide proper burial for lives that were lost, and assist in the enormous effort to clean up and recover from that devastating attack on our nation.

While we are all too aware of the damage that was done on September 11th, what is less well known is the long-lasting harm that has been done to the health and well being of the thousands of first responders who were on the scene that day as well as all the men, women, and children who were exposed to the toxic debris that was spread all throughout Lower Manhattan after the towers fell. Shortly after the attacks, Congress passed the Victims Compensation Fund, which compensated victims of the attack; since then, however, thousands of heroes and community survivors have developed deadly illnesses due to the exposure to the toxic debris. It's time we took care of them.

As we approach 9 years since the attack, nearly 20,000 responders and innocent residents of New York have fallen ill due to the harmful toxins released at Ground Zero. These include New York Firefighters, EMTs, Police, construction workers, clean-up workers, and innocent men, women, and children who lived and worked in the area. But while the majority of these people live in the New York/New Jersey area, at least 10,000 of those who are sick or are being monitored for signs of illness today reside in all but four Congressional districts across the country.

People from all over the U.S. responded to the call for help in the aftermath of the attacks and tens of thousands currently face life threatening health ailments. We have an undeniable, moral obligation to provide them the help and treatment they deserve.

That's why, over the past several months, I have reached out to my colleagues in the Senate and the House, to the firefighters, police and others who responded to the tragedy and to family members of workers who have since lost their lives to rally support for the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. And I am very pleased to report that after years of inaction, today this bill will have its first hearing in the Senate on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

This legislation would:

- establish the World Trade Center Health Program within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to provide medical monitoring and treatment to the thousands of WTC-responders and community members for health conditions caused by the toxins at Ground Zero.

- expand access to an additional 15,000 participants in the responder medical monitoring and treatment program - currently capped at about 40,000 - to make sure no one feeling the health effects of 9/11 is left behind from getting the care they deserve. In addition, it would ensure 55,000 WTC responders get the care they need.

- extend and expand support for the World Trade Center Health Registry and provide grants for the mental health needs of individuals not otherwise eligible for services under this bill.

- establish a community program to provide initial health screenings, treatment, and monitoring to eligible community members, including geographic and exposure criteria to define who may be eligible for the program (i.e. those who lived, worked, or were present in lower Manhattan, South of Houston Street or in Brooklyn within a 1.5 mile radius of the WTC site for certain defined time periods.)

- reopen the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The fund would be reopened until December 22, 2031 to provide compensation for economic damages and loss for individuals who did not file before or became ill after the original December 22, 2003 deadline.

- ensure that we continue critical research into the long lasting health effects that threaten these men, women, and children and provide appropriate financial assistance for the irreparable harm that these innocent people have endured.

America must always taken care of its heroes and this should be no exception. The attack on NYC on September 11, 2001 was an act of war and we have a moral obligation to take care of those who have suffered health effects as a result.

In February, I asked President Obama if he would commit to working with Congress to pass a fully paid for 9/11 health bill and he said he would. With our hearing in the Senate today, we are now closer than we've ever been to passing this important legislation. It is long past time that we passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act and began to repay the enormous debt we owe our 9/11 heroes.

On June 18, I stood at Ground Zero with Reps. Maloney and Weiner as well as some of our brave 9/11 first responders, union workers and community survivors who've been helping fight for this legislation to announce today's hearing. Some video from that press conference is below.

Statement: Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley on Mayor Giving 20 Fire Company Closures Reprieve for Now...

In response to Mayor Bloomberg’s public announcement that he's going "to wait and see" about state funding before moving forward with a list of fire companies closings, City Council Fire & Criminal Justice Chair Elizabeth Crowley said:

“I am hopeful that this is a positive sign but we cannot relax until our fire protection is secured. Our City’s taxpayers have spoken and they want our fire companies to remain open. A massive citywide alliance of elected officials, firefighters, business and religious leaders, teachers, parents, students and residents have mobilized against cuts to our FDNY. We need to keep up the pressure and continue to let Mayor Bloomberg know that we have no room to compromise our safety services.”

Queens Nabes Burning with Anger Over Mayor’s Fire Cuts by Holly Tsang - Queens Ledger

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The release of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed budget last week had many Queens residents smoking mad when they learned that the mayor’s proposal to cut 20 firehouses would likely become reality.

“If the firehouse isn’t here, who’s going to save people?” asked Sunnyside resident Paul Maringelli as he stood in front of Hook and Ladder 116 in Long Island City on May 7 to rally against the proposed closings. “What, we’re going to send people from Manhattan or Astoria? Those couple of minutes could mean a lot.”

Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer scolded the mayor for even considering downsizing the city’s first line of defense against fires.

“The city has already closed our Engine Company [261],” said Van Bramer, “Hook and Ladder 116 must remain open in order to continue protecting all of our residents.”

The FDNY actually has not identified which fire companies would close if the budget passes, but it seems that every one is fair game. The City Charter requires the FDNY to give a community 45 days’notice prior to a company’s closure.

Leroy McGuinness, Queens Trustee of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, estimated that at least three or four closings will be in Queens. He pointed out that in the month of April alone, Queens had seven multiple-alarm fires (a second alarm fire, he said, has 20 fire companies responding).

Councilman Dan Halloran, who sits on the Fire and Criminal Justice committee, in a phone interview this week also brought up the issue of the city cutting crews from five firefighters to four firefighters at the busiest engine companies.

"The argument is that other cities only use four crew members," said Halloran. "But we're not like other cities, we are a city of 8.5 million people. We don't operate like other cities."

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, chair of the Fire & Criminal Justice Committee, said that the mayor recently found $100 million in the budget for security services.

“The fire department is our security services,” said Crowley, “so it doesn’t make any sense why he wants to take our security services away.” She added, “we cannot stop until every fire company that’s in jeopardy of closing stays open.”

Crowley noted that last year, for the first time in city history, the City Council was forced to use discretionary funds to keep 16 firehouses from closing. Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. added that even if the council proposed to use discretionary funds, there is no guarantee the mayor will use them.

Maringelli noticed that there have been a lot of fires in Queens lately. He’s not surprised, however, because there are so many people packed together in the borough.

“In Queens, you’ve got businesses, factories, private homes, apartment buildings, office buildings,” said Maringelli. “You name it, Queens has it. There’s always a risk.”

Days later, to emphasize their point, elected officials took to the streets of Richmond Hill, marching along Jamaica Avenue in a rally against the cuts. More rallies are sure to follow as budget negotiations continue.

Crowley, Weiner, De Blasio, Addabbo, Miller, Koslowitz, Ulrich, P.S. 254 March to Save Queens’ Fire Companies in Jeopardy of Closing

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City Council Fire & Criminal Justice Chair Elizabeth Crowley (D-Queens), NYC Public Advocate Bill De Blasio (D-Brooklyn), U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner (D-Queens), State Senator Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens), Council Members Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) and Karen Koslowitz (D-Queens), Assembly Member Mike Miller (D-Queens) along with local firefighters, community and religious leaders, parents, teachers and students from P.S. 254 marched from Woodhaven’s Fire Engine 293 to Richmond Hill’s Fire Engine 294 in support of keeping local fire companies open. Today’s march concluded with a rally at the Richmond Hill Engine 294 which was closed in January 1991 by the then Mayor David Dinkins only to be reopened days after due to a delay in response times to a nearby fire that resulted in the death of two brothers. At Engine 294 elected officials, firefighters and citizens blasted Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to close 20 fire companies and reduce FDNY personnel by 400 fewer firefighters in order to balance the budget.

City Council Fire & Criminal Justice Chair Elizabeth Crowley said, "The Administration found $200 million within the executive budget to maintain our security initiatives -- and this should include the FDNY. If we close fire companies, I certainly will not feel secure. Fires don’t care about budgets. We have only one choice when it comes to New Yorker’s safety -- and that is to deliver. Closing fire houses is not the answer to New York's fiscal problems.”

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said, "Even in times of economic constraints, the safety of New Yorkers must remain a first priority. The Fire Department can't execute this cut without affecting firefighters' response time in some neighborhoods. We cannot lose sight of our priorities, and I am committed to working with the Administration to restore these cuts so that our neighborhoods are not put in peril."

State Senator Joseph Addabbo said, "Our firehouses serve as the first line of defense for residents of this great city. Losing these firehouses would increase response time and put countless citizens in danger. I want to thank Councilwoman Crowley and my fellow elected officials who are working to ensure that this does not happen."

Assembly Member Mike Miller said, "Fire houses provide a life saving service for our community. Making cuts to these essential services is outrageous. In April of this year, it took the FDNY 4 minutes and 20 seconds to respond to fires throughout Queens. Cutting our local fire houses here in Woodhaven will increase this number substantially. Most of the houses in this neighborhood are wood-framed houses, making every second of response time critically important. If the fire department in Cypress Hills is responding to a blaze in Woodhaven, it leaves the residents of both neighborhoods in danger. Closing one fire house creates a domino effect that negatively affects all of our communities. I stand with Council Member Crowley in fighting these cuts every step of the way."

Steve Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association said, "The last five years have been the busiest in the 145 year history of the FDNY. This shows that residents depend more on the FDNY than ever before. It is a fact that closing fire companies or reducing manpower threatens the safety of civilians and firefighters alike."

Mr. Cassidy added, "Above and beyond the vital day-to-day role firefighters play in the community, the response to the terrorist attack in Times Square is another reminder of how critically important it is to get firefighters to the scene of an emergency quickly. The Time Square terrorist attack was the 11th plot or attempt to attack our city since 9/11, clearly showing that New York City is the #1 terrorist target. Closing firehouses or reducing staffing levels is dangerous for all communities throughout New York City.""

Rally and March To Save Our Firehouses in Woodhaven on May 10, 2010...

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What:

March and Rally to Save Our Firehouses

When:

May 10th, 2010

Time:

9:30am (March) and 10:00am (Rally)

Where:

March: Engine Co. 293 - 87th Street and 89th Avenue, Woodhaven (9:30am)
Rally: Engine 294 - 101st Street and Jamaica Avenue, Richmond Hill (10 am)

Any questions: Contact Councilmember: Elizabeth Crowley 718-366-3900

City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley on FDNY Cuts in Mayor Bloomberg's City Budget...

City Council Fire & Criminal Justice Chair Elizabeth Crowley (D-Queens) said, “New Yorkers deserve to know that this budget will keep them safe – and that includes keeping our fire companies open. Whether its rapidly responding to fires and medical emergencies, building collapses and most importantly, in this context, terrorist attacks, our fire companies are always among the first to response and should not be cut. It is common sense: the greater the emergency response network we have on call, the more effectively we can protect ourselves from tragedy. Hundreds of people in every borough through New York City have rallied and will continue to send the clear message to the Mayor: keep our fire companies open.”

Councilmember Crowley Slams Proposal to Cut Fire Companies by Jeremy Walsh - YourNabe.com

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City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, seen here at a protest of fire company closings last year, says she will fight again to keep them open this year. Photo courtesy Elizabeth Crowley

Fire companies are once again on the chopping block in the mayor’s opening round of city budget negotiations, including one that covers Ridgewood, City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) said.

Engine 271, which had been slated for closure last year as the city tightened its belt, is up for consideration as the city Fire Department begins to study where to make its reductions.

A Fire Department spokesman said no fire companies had yet been identified for closure this year, noting the budget process is in its beginning stages. The department is currently examining its statistics, the spokesman said. The proposed closings would cut about $28 million from the city’s expenses.

Much work remains to be done before the Council hammers out its final budget in June, and it is possible other budget solutions will be found. Last year the Council agreed to commit part of its discretionary funding to keep 16 fire companies open, but Crowley’s office said that was a one-time arrangement.

“It is alarming that so many fire company closures are even being proposed in the mayor’s preliminary budget,” Crowley, chairwoman of the Council Fire and Criminal Justice Committee, said in a statement. “We have a responsibility to our taxpaying New Yorkers that when it comes to safety, we deliver.”

Bloomberg said other cost-cutting measures were possible, such as removing the Fire Department call boxes made obsolete by cell phones. It was not clear how much of the $28 million that would cover.

Councilman James Vacca (D-Bronx) criticized Bloomberg’s plan as unacceptable.

“This plan represented a threat to life and life then, and it represents the same threat now. We simply won’t stand for it,” he said.

Steve Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, had little to say about the situation so early in the game.

“Any firehouse closings will compromise public safety and endanger the lives and property of New York City’s taxpayers,” he said.

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Crowley’s office said last year that Queens had the worst response time in the city at six minutes, a minute longer than the citywide average. Engine 271 responded to 2,550 emergency calls in 2008, according to the Uniformed Firefighters Association.

City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley Appointed Chair of Fire and Criminal Justice Committee...

Today, Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (D-Queens) was appointed Chair of the Fire and Criminal Justice Committee. Council Member Elizabeth Crowley will replace Council Member James Vacca as Chair of the Committee, who will move on to become Chair of the Committee on Transportation.

"I believe that the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice is one of the most important committees with regards to the safety and protection of all New Yorkers, and it is an honor to serve as Chair," said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley. " As Chair I will prioritize the protection and safety needs of all New Yorkers to ensure that, come budget time, these vital services are not compromised. I look forward to working with New York's five district attorneys and the courts to tackle issues such as victims rights, corrections, crime prevention and intervention and domestic violence. I also look forward to working with the FDNY and the Bloomberg Administration to ensure that there is clear communication between the fire agencies and the public on ways to improve our fire safety.”

Since taking office, Council Member Crowley has been a very active and involved member of New York City’s Fire and Criminal Justice Committee. Most recently, Council Member Crowley took on the Bloomberg Administration with regards to the failed Unified Call Taking (UCT) system. In response to a string of breakdowns in the new UCT system, which delayed fire emergency response time by minutes, Council Member Crowley demanded the Administration revert back to the old emergency system in which citizens reporting the emergency speak directly to trained fire dispatchers rather than a general operator. After Council Member Crowley and her colleagues demanded immediate action from the Administration, the Police and Fire Departments agreed to temporarily revert back to the old system while the 911 callers received additional training.

When 16 fire companies were slated to close last year, Council Member Crowley met with every fire company in her district, hosted town hall meetings, organized and rallied with firefighters, fire officers, residents and fellow City officials to protest the closings. As a result of these efforts, $17 million was restored to the FDNY, avoiding both a loss of personnel and fire company closings. Council Member Crowley has been specifically credited to keeping Fire Company 271 open which serves residents in her council district. Multiple fire companies have been rumored to go up on the chopping block again this year.

NYC Confirms Dispatch Error During Deadly Queens Fire by AP - Newsday

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Authorities say an emergency dispatcher’s keystroke error sent fire trucks toward the wrong address during a blaze that killed three people in Queens.

Authorities say an emergency dispatcher’s keystroke error sent fire trucks toward the wrong address during a blaze that killed three people in Queens.

The mistake was quickly corrected while the trucks were en-route on Saturday. It’s not clear whether it was a factor in the deaths.

A spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg acknowledged the dispatch error, but said other issues were more significant.

Jason Post said the basement windows were barred and the floors were illegally subdivided. He said the building also lacked working smoke detectors.

Some firefighters cited the incident as a sign that the city’s new dispatching system is not working. City officials defended the system, which was put in place over union objections.

Uniformed Fire Officers Association Endorses Gulluscio...

Praises Experienced Candidate Who Protected Local Firehouse

The Uniformed Fire Officers Association announced their endorsement of Frank Gulluscio for New York City Council in 32nd District. The announcement came in front of FDNY Engine Company 293 in Woodhaven, where Gulluscio worked with then-Councilman Joseph Addabbo to save the firehouse from closure due to budget cuts in 2003.

Captain Al Hagan, President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and a thirty-six year veteran of the FDNY, said: “We are proud to endorse Frank Gulluscio for City Council. He has a proven track record of fighting to protect City services. When Engine 293 was slated to close in 2003, Frank worked to save it. We know that he will continue to be a fighter for our City’s fire officers and for working families.”

“I am honored to have the support of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. Keeping our communities safe is our responsibility. New York City's firefighters and officers put their lives on the line to protect us, and as City Council Member I will fight for them each and every day," said Gulluscio.

In this year's budget, the Mayor threatened closure of 16 firehouses throughout the City. The Uniformed Fire Officers Association along with the City Council successfully opposed those cuts, helping to ensure that communities remain safe and response times stay low. Last year, FDNY response times to structural fires averaged 4:31 while medical emergencies averaged 4:37 in Queens - the highest of the five boroughs - with the citywide average at 4:12 and 4:17, respectively. “We won the battle but the war continues, we need our next Councilman to continue to watch City Hall to ensure that Woodhaven keeps it fire house” said Gulluscio.

The Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) represents over 7,200 lieutenants, captains, battalion chiefs, deputy chiefs, medical officers and supervising fire marshals of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).

A Great Save - Hero Pulled Family from Fire by Cynthia Fagen - NY POst

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The flames in an apartment below had turned a Queens bedroom into a searing "barbecue" pit. Firefighter Michael Czech, 29, knew he had only seconds to rescue three unconscious victims -- a mother and her two sons.

So before dawn on Jan. 27, he crawled through a shattered window of the Ozone Park apartment and into the brutal heat.

"I patted a bed and felt a child's foot and dove onto the bed. There was no visibility. The smoke was severe enough it would put you right out," he said. "The victims were in a barbecue. The mother and a second boy were halfway off the other side of the bed."

Victoria Montero had called 911 before she and her sons, Carlos, 8, and Dylan, 6, had passed out from the smoke and carbon-monoxide poisoning.

"I picked up the first child on the bed and brought him closer to the window. Then the second child, and finally the mother," said Czech, a seven-year FDNY veteran who has been nominated for a New York Post Liberty Medal in the Bravest category.

As he passed each off to his firefighter buddy, Ed Rissland, who lowered them to paramedics, "we agreed I would stay in the room. We had no idea if somebody was still in there -- we needed to make sure," Czech said.

As Czech thoroughly searched the room, fellow firefighters from his Ladder Co. 142 of Woodhaven and Engine Co. 285 rescued a grandmother trapped on the first floor.

"Everything was one big team," he recalled. "It was a wild night. I was in the right place at the right time. It's not so often everyone makes it out alive."

2 NYC Bravest Injured at Queens Fire by Erin Calabrese and Philip Messing - New York Post

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Two firefighters were hospitalized after falling 15 feet while fighting a four-alarm blaze in Queens last night, authorities said.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused them to plunge while in the warehouse at 56-95 49th Place in Maspeth shortly after 8 p.m.

One suffered a broken arm, the other a minor head injury, officials said. Both were taken to Elmhurst Hospital.

"They were pulled out of the warehouse conscious and on their own power," an FDNY spokesman said.

A third firefighter was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The warehouse was unoccupied and in an industrial area.

It took about five hours to bring the blaze under control.

One Dead in Queens Fire by Xana O’Neill, Jotham Sederstrom and Tamer El-Ghobashy - NY Daily News

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The two-alarm fire was first reported at 7:36 a.m., Sunday.

A fierce blaze at a Queens apartment building claimed the life of one man and seriously injured seven other people - some of whom jumped from windows to escape, fire officials and witnesses said.

Two of the helpless victims ran out of the Middle Village building engulfed in flames and begged for help from the owner of the deli that sits on the ground floor.

"It's not easy to see someone on fire - I did the best I could," said Mohammad Al Matari, 45, describing how he and a customer doused the burning victims with gallons of cold water from his stock.

The fire, which broke out at about 7:30 a.m., also forced three people to jump from second - and third-story windows - even as passersby urged the frantic victims to wait for the FDNY to arrive with ladders.

"She had no other choice - there was smoke and flames right behind," said Bryan Onody, 47, describing a woman perched on a second-floor window sill who eventually jumped. "I had to turn away ... it was terrible."

Fire officials said 106 firefighters battled the 2-alarm inferno and were able to control it in under an hour. But it had already taken a heavy toll.

A man's body was recovered from inside a burnt out apartment on the third floor, and three people were rushed to hospitals in critical condition. Four people were also taken to hospitals in serious condition.

Six firefighters were also treated at hospitals for minor injuries, the FDNY said.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire was being investigated, saying it began near one of the entrances to the building. It was deemed suspicious, officials said.

"We came out of this alive - we're very fortunate," said Orlando Merced, 48, a second-floor tenant who ushered his wife and two children out of the smokey structure.

FDNY and EMS Rescue 82 Year Old Woman from Flooded Car...

New York City Fire Department and EMS personnel rescued an 82 year old woman whose car was caught in a flooded underpass on the entrance (eastbound) ramp of the Jackie Robinson Parkway at Union Turnpike this evening. The road was flooded during the torrential rain storm at about 7:30 pm...

Hat tip to Manny for the photo...

FDNY Response Times Plummet in Queens by Pete Davis - The Queens Courier

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After the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) implemented a system aimed at reducing response times in Queens, data for the last three months confirm response times are plummeting, but some local leaders believe more must occur.

In February of 2008, the FDNY started a pilot program in which they sent emergency personnel to the scene immediately after the dispatcher received the call - a difference in policy when the department waited to send units until they confirmed the location and emergency.

If additional information or a different address becomes available while the responding unit is en route, the dispatcher will notify the responders of the change by radio.

During the first three months the pilot program has been in effect, average response times to structural fires in Queens decreased by 23 seconds from 4:57 in 2007 to 4:34 in 2008. In addition, response times to medical emergencies decreased by seven seconds from 4:46 in 2008 to 4:39 in 2007.

“This simple change of protocol has resulted in the one of the most significant drops in response times in FDNY history,” Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said recently. “During the last 10 weeks, Queens firefighters responded to 1,000 structural fires 30 seconds faster on average than they did a year ago. The hard work of our firefighters, fire officers and dispatchers has made this program a true success.”

The success of the Queens pilot program has led the city to extend the program to the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island beginning on June 1.

However, City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., who is the Chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, said he is not completely sold on the new system and does not believe it should substitute for adding more resources to the borough.

“We are comparing apples and oranges,” Vallone said. “It would be nice to know how we would fare with our updated system with all the resources possible. Unfortunately, that comparison is now impossible.”

In addition, members of the Uninformed Firefighters Association (UFA) expressed some apprehension about the lack of information it may give to firefighters before they arrive at the emergency.

Last year, FDNY response times to structural fires averaged 4:58 while medical emergencies averaged 4:42 - by far the highest of the five boroughs - with the citywide average at 4:27 and 4:20, respectively.

“Thirty seconds could very well mean the difference between life and death,” Vallone said.

During a recent executive budget hearing, Vallone hammered Scoppetta with questions about why Queens has continued to lag behind the rest of the city in response times, a trend that Vallone said has been ongoing for the past 15 years.

“Once again, Queens seems to be getting the short end of the fire hose,” Vallone said. “There’s no reason why one borough should be so behind the others. We need to do better to protect the people of Queens.”

Meanwhile, City Councilmember Leroy Comrie, who was a strong critic of the new response system when it first went into effect, said that Queens has grown faster than any other borough in the last two censuses and with the major developments across the borough coming soon, more fire houses are necessary.

“We need at least two more fire stations and [probably] closer to four to meet the increased density in the borough,” Comrie said.

10 Hurt in Queens Bus Wreck; Injuries Not Life-Threatening -- Newsday

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Authorities say 10 people have been taken to hospitals after a bus driver swerved to avoid a hitting a child and crashed into a fence in Queens. Firefighters say the injuries don't appear to be life-threatening.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Paul Fleuranges says the child darted in front of the moving bus Sunday evening in the Rockaway Park area. He says the driver veered away from the child, and the bus jumped a curb on Beach Channel Drive around 7:30 p.m.

Fleuranges says the driver is among those hurt.

Police and firefighters say the bus hit an abandoned building, but Fleuranges says it hit only a fence.

Blaze Tears Through Ozone Park Home, Injures Eight -- The Queens Courier

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Firefighters check for any extention of flames at the scene of a suspicious two-alarm fire at 106-07 95th Street in Ozone Park. The blaze, which happened at 2:55 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, tore through the top floor and attic area of the private house and caused considerable damage to an attached dwelling. A total of eight patients — one firefighter and seven civilians — were treated by medics. Five people were treated for smoke inhalation, one for a broken leg sustained from jumping from a second floor window, and one for minor burns to the head and hand. The firefighter received medical attention for back pain.