New York Daily News
Wednesday, May 13th 2009, 4:00 AM
4 FDNY companies doomed; Fire Commissioner Nicholas
Scoppetta warns 12 more are severely threatened
BY Jonathan Lemire
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
[photo]
Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta speaks to City Council
about firehouse closings in March.
Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta testified before the
City Council Tuesday about the impending closure of four FDNY companies - and
warned that 12 more may go dark by the end of the year.
Over protests from several Council members, Scoppetta said
the city's budget crisis made it impossible to save the four companies,
including the only ladder company on City Island in the Bronx. They will close
July 1.
Scoppetta said the additional dozen companies - which have
not been selected - could be saved with concessions from the fire unions.
Currently, 134 of 198 engine companies are staffed with four
firefighters, while the remaining 64 companies carry five firefighters. If
those units switched to smaller crews, the savings would allow the fire
companies to stay open, Scoppetta said.
The unions blasted the plan, saying the proposal would
endanger public safety during the busiest time in the FDNY's history.
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