Spitzer vetoes Stewart firefighters' health-care bill

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From the Times Herald-Record

Spitzer vetoes Stewart firefighters' health-care bill

By Michael Randall

Times Herald-Record

July 27, 2007

Stewart Airport — They really thought it was going to happen this time.

A new year and a new governor had firefighters who work for the state's Division of Military and Naval Affairs thinking this was the year they'd finally get a bill passed granting them health coverage for heart and lung diseases and cancer.

These firefighters include 35 who work at Stewart International Airport.

But when the latest version of the bill — passed overwhelmingly in both the Senate and Assembly — made its way to Gov. Eliot Spitzer's desk last week, it met the same fate as two bills passed while George Pataki was governor:

Veto.

And what hurt more this time was where some opposition to the bill came from. Both the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association and the DMNA — their own agency — urged Spitzer to veto the bill.

The reason Spitzer gave for the veto was the same as one of Pataki's reasons for twice vetoing similar bills: It would give the 100 or so DMNA firefighters greater benefits than those afforded other paid firefighters around the state.

Eric Durr, director of public affairs for DMNA, said the agency opposed the bill for the same reason. Representatives of the NYSPFFA could not be reached.

But the veto still leaves the DMNA firefighters with no health insurance coverage that's specific to their jobs — and very upset, to say the least.

"We train as firefighters, we get firefighter certification, yet we're not treated as firefighters," said Frank Giordano, one of the Stewart-based DMNA firefighters.

Despite the agency's name, and the fact they're assigned to four military bases around the state, DMNA firefighters are not part of the military. They're state employees. And they're covered by a union, the Civil Service Employees Association, whose contract doesn't even mention firefighter as a job classification.

Giordano and fellow Stewart-based DMNA firefighter Clinton Bonnett say they face the perception they shouldn't get these benefits because they don't fight as many fires as municipal firefighters — something Pataki mentioned in his vetoes.

But Bonnett and Giordano say all it takes is one call to cause a life-changing medical problem. Giordano still remembers the uncertainty they faced after responding when a Federal Express plane landed at Stewart with a fire on board in 1996. "We didn't know for six months what was on that plane," he said.

And in the case of the Stewart firefighters, they also answer numerous mutual aid calls, in addition to all fire calls on both the civilian and military sides of Stewart, Bonnett noted.

"God forbid one of us gets hurt in a fire," Bonnett said. "All I want is for our families to be protected if something happens to us."

Writer Lisa Coffey contributed to this report.

Answering the call

The Division of Military and Naval Affairs firefighters based at Stewart International Airport responded to 1,142 calls between November 2004 and January 2007, including:

731 aircraft maintenance standbys (required whenever a C-5A's engines are turned on for any reason)

112 mutual aid fires

99 good intent/false alarm calls

71 in-flight aircraft emergencies

45 fuel spills and hazardous materials incidents

26 medical emergencies

22 on-the-ground aircraft emergencies

17 hazardous materials standbys

14 mutual aid standbys

4 rescue calls

1 bomb threat

[hudson144 150]

this is criminal , for these guys throughout nys that work as firefighters for DMNA. They have required training that has strict guidelines,mandatory qualifications pertaining to the fire service both for structural/ARFF firefighting. They fall under the umbrella of CSEA. Again they got the shaft! From being involved at STEWART ANG BASE these guys have alot to deal with. Along with the main mission of the C5-A they provide fire/ems for all commercial aircraft arriving or departing the airfield. Stewart FD is a very active department these days in the Orange Co. mutual aid plan.A fast engine is sent from SFD into the city of newburgh on a regular basis. The surrounding fire districts around the airport rely on them often as well. Between the use of the water tanker,ARFF apparatus thet are an asset to any fire department requesting assistance. Something stinks here and it needs to be addressed.

[Grumpy 1]

What health coverage do they have now?

[turk182 37]

Isn' t the Port Authority going to take over Stewart? What will happen to these guys then? Do they stay State employees or become PA employees? From the way it sounds they may be better of working for the Port Authority.

[hudson144 150]

they will remain the same.even if the PA came in the mission at SANG is the C-5A AND C-130's.