FDNY Statement on Expiration of Roster Staffing Agreement

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Beginning tomorrow, February 1, the FDNY will reduce staffing by one firefighter on 60 of its engine companies so that all 194 engines in the city will be staffed with four firefighters and one officer. No firefighters will be laid off as a result of this change, which will provide savings of approximately $30 million in overtime that is currently needed to staff the fifth firefighter position. The change comes as the FDNY's 15-year agreement with the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) expires at midnight tonight.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/pr/2011/013111_0711.shtml

[efdcapt115 1,511]

I "love" this line:

No other fire department in the country operates with five firefighters on an engine.

How about: "No other department in the country deals with the incredible number of high-rise buildings in such a concentrated area; therefore necessitating the need for the original agreement to staff as many engine companies with 5 firefighters IN THE FIRST PLACE DUH...."

[JohnnyOV 2]

I "love" this line:

How about: "No other department in the country deals with the incredible number of high-rise buildings in such a concentrated area; therefore necessitating the need for the original agreement to staff as many engine companies with 5 firefighters IN THE FIRST PLACE DUH...."

Come on Capt. They're at the lowest fire related death in a long time. It only makes sense to reduce staffing to a point where fire fatalities and an increase in high rise property damage and are going to rise again.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Come on Capt. They're at the lowest fire related death in a long time. It only makes sense to reduce staffing to a point where fire fatalities and an increase in high rise property damage and are going to rise again.

(smacking forehead) Of course! how could I be so blind.....

[Alpinerunner 61]

I "love" this line:

How about: "No other department in the country deals with the incredible number of high-rise buildings in such a concentrated area; therefore necessitating the need for the original agreement to staff as many engine companies with 5 firefighters IN THE FIRST PLACE DUH...."

Yea that line really struck me, too. It clearly crossed the "line" of an unbiased news release. You can tell the city has an adjenda/opinion due to the fact that they put that in its own paragraph.

[firefighter36 52]

Is one of the Four Firefighters mentioned here the Chauffeur or is that a separate position as far as staffing is concerned?

[PEMO3 523]

I am surprised that the way the city spins things that they did not say that 4 firefighters and an officers still has the staffing at 5 men, um politically correct mode, members per engine.

[grumpyff 1,159]

Is one of the Four Firefighters mentioned here the Chauffeur or is that a separate position as far as staffing is concerned?

The chauffeur is counted as one of the four firefighters.

[16fire5 693]

While high rises are one reason for five firefighters even more challenging are the NFP buildings up to 7 stories tall that have no standpipe. Upper floor fires in these building frequently require stretches of over 10 lengths of hose i.e. 500'. With the officer directing the stretch and the chauffeur hooking up and the control firefighter at the back of the rig removing the hose and breaking the line for all intensive purposes it's 3 firefighters stretching. Anyone who has worked in both 4 and 5 firefighter engines realizes the difference is huge. While procedure does call for engines to team up and we do with the exception of fires in private houses the second engine is seldom on scene initially so the first engine bears the brunt of making the stretch alone.

[IzzyEng4 427]

There was a report out later today saying the UPF and the UPO filed an injunction to stop the cuts.

[lt411 145]

There was a report out later today saying the UPF and the UPO filed an injunction to stop the cuts.

I believe you are referring to the UFA (Uniformed Firefighters Assn-Local 94 IAFF) and the UFOA (Uniformed Fire Officers Assn- Local 854). The FDNY unions are appealing to the court that the Roster Staffing agreement was considered part of the contract, and even though it expires at midnight, it should continue until negotiated between the city and the unions. The crux of the matter, in my firehouse lawyer thinking, is that the agreement was added on to the contract as an addendum, and so the city says it was not actually part of the current contract. It will take a while to play out, and will cost the unions many dollars to fight.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Well it's February 1st. Can we get an update from our FDNY Brothers as to what happened today?

[DMA327 12]

Just spoke to someone at the firehouse and we've lost the fifth man. This is definately going to make stretches much more difficult. But fire fatalities are down so its no big deal :/

[IzzyEng4 427]

lt441, I was, I couldn't remember the actual acronyms for the locals. Was on my mobile when I typed it. Thank you for the correction.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

While high rises are one reason for five firefighters even more challenging are the NFP buildings up to 7 stories tall that have no standpipe. Upper floor fires in these building frequently require stretches of over 10 lengths of hose i.e. 500'. With the officer directing the stretch and the chauffeur hooking up and the control firefighter at the back of the rig removing the hose and breaking the line for all intensive purposes it's 3 firefighters stretching. Anyone who has worked in both 4 and 5 firefighter engines realizes the difference is huge. While procedure does call for engines to team up and we do with the exception of fires in private houses the second engine is seldom on scene initially so the first engine bears the brunt of making the stretch alone.

Great point Cap, but I was counting your 7 story NFP, non-standpiped buildings, as I was always told anything over 4 stories is considered "high-rise".....who wants to tear that apart for me...

[grumpyff 1,159]

Plenty of other waste Bloomburg could have cut before he got the Fifth man....City Time, parks, or his favorite idea...bike paths. Just saw this article for a bike path to connect Queens to the Bronx via the Hells Gate Bridge.http://gothamist.com...h_to_connec.php Bloomburg has been anti-civil service since day one. Can't wait until this tool is no longer in office. Last time Iooked, not to many South Bronx residents listened to Dave Matthews.

Edited February 1, 2011 by grumpyff

[16fire5 693]

Great point Cap, but I was counting your 7 story NFP, non-standpiped buildings, as I was always told anything over 4 stories is considered "high-rise".....who wants to tear that apart for me...

75' is our height mostly because by the old codes thats when the requirement for Class I construction kicked in. But with everything else there are plenty over 75' which don't fit the bill. I can think of an 11 story ordinary construction built on a hill that is 75' on one side and there are plenty of Class II's in the city that although they have standpipes have open interior stairs and are up to 20 stories.

[Guest squarewheels]

the engine is a 4 man engine and we catch a fair share of our work in the projects and have long stretches in large H type buildings. we have been doing these stretches with 4 men for years and everytime you get pissed because the stretch always seems to get caught up or kinked somewhere. the one thing that has to be done now is that truckies are going to have to stop walking over and past a kinked line or caught up lines. we all have a job to do but passing a f'd line is ridiclous and will get soemone hurt. also second due engine is going to have to start helping more with stretches right away and stop thinking about maybe stretching that 2nd line. the attack line with proper water save the most lives.

[M' Ave 1,466]

I'll be in tonight......time to see how things go. Snow storm, icy roads and frozen hydrants here I come.......

[16fire5 693]

the engine is a 4 man engine and we catch a fair share of our work in the projects and have long stretches in large H type buildings. we have been doing these stretches with 4 men for years and everytime you get pissed because the stretch always seems to get caught up or kinked somewhere. the one thing that has to be done now is that truckies are going to have to stop walking over and past a kinked line or caught up lines. we all have a job to do but passing a f'd line is ridiclous and will get soemone hurt. also second due engine is going to have to start helping more with stretches right away and stop thinking about maybe stretching that 2nd line. the attack line with proper water save the most lives.

All the things you say are right on except they should have already been being done.