UFANYC.org – June 06, 2017
by UFANYC.org
CITY HALL (June 2, 2017) – After a crucial push from the City Council and fire union members, the city will provide crucial funding for a second pair of boots for New York City firefighters.
Every day, when firefighters of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) are called to a scene, they don’t know entirely what to expect. To combat this, the Bravest are equipped with gear to prepare for the unpredictable. They have two jackets, two pairs of pants, two of everything – except for their boots. Firefighters are currently given just one pair of boots to walk through debris, puddles, contaminants and more. But that changes with this budget handshake for Fiscal Year 2018.
“I’m pleased to see this budget allocation because our firefighters need to be quick and steady on their feet, and must have adequate protection while working in an emergency,” said City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, Chair of the City Council’s Fire and Criminal Justice Services Committee. “The FDNY responds to hundreds of calls every day, and this second pair of boots will ensure they can perform their best to protect New Yorkers. I’d like to thank City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the City Council’s Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras-Copeland for their leadership and commitment to the people of New York City.”
The second pair of boots were included in the City Council’s Preliminary Budget Response, but excluded from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Executive Budget reports. After negotiations, the Council allocated the $4 million for the necessary expense.
“The UFA would like to thank Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Fire and Criminal Justice Services Committee members and Chair Elizabeth Crowley, as well as Finance Committee members and Chair Julissa Ferreras-Copeland and the entire council for their tremendous work in securing the funding for our second pair of boots. This is a matter of safety. So many times, firefighters need to work through poor weather and endure dangerous environments and conditions while on the job. This leads to firefighters wearing boots that are often wet and contaminated multiple times during a single shift. This second pair of boots will ensure that New York’s Bravest will continue to do the excellent work our city has come to expect,” said Uniformed Firefighters Association President Gerard Fitzgerald.
“I would like to thank all of the City Council for providing the members of this Department with the necessary personal protection equipment for our safety. I would especially like to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and her staff, Fire and Criminal Justice Services Committee Chair Elizabeth Crowley, and Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras-Copeland. When it comes to the safety of the citizens of New York and the safety of New York City’s Bravest, we can have no better advocates than the City Council,” said Uniformed Fire Officers’ Association President Jake Lemonda, on behalf of the union’s executive board and members.
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