‘Nothing More Vital’

The Mayor went on to offer strong words of encouragement to firefighters, who under the city's emergency plan are supposed to rush to the rescue following the release of a deadly chemical or gas, even as the Police Depart retains "overall control" over the incident.

Saving lives will remain the FDNY's mission and the city's top priority, the Mayor said, adding a flourish that provoked applause from the crowd. "Nothing is more important and God help anyone who gets in your way.” 

His remark was an indirect response to objections voiced by firefighter union leaders that the Office of Emergency Management's new disaster plan cedes too much authority to Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and diminishes the FDNY's role in defending the city from terrorist attacks.

Uniformed Firefighters' Association President Stephen J. Cassidy, for example, is concerned that under the new rules, police commanders might force firefighters "to stand on the sidelines" in a disaster while they searched for suspects or crime scene evidence.

Two Roles Seem Linked

"It is impossible to be responsible for safety and not be responsible for the overall scene," the UFA leader insisted. "That's the way the document reads. If that's not their intention, it needs to be clarified."

Mr. Cassidy and Uniformed Fire Officers' Association Peter L. Gorman upped the ante in the dispute last week by releasing a letter to Tom Ridge, the head of the U.S. Department of  Homeland Security, who has ordered all cities to put new emergency management plans in place.

The union leaders asked to meet with Mr. Ridge as soon as possible so they could explain how the city's plan "is a radical departure from the rest of the nation."

Both leaders have argued that OEM's proposal to have police and fire commanders perform parallel tasks in a  large-scale event fails to meet DHS's recommended standard of having a clear, unified command structure in place before disaster occurs.

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said OEM's plan was thoroughly vetted before its May 14 release. He predicted DHS would approve it by October so the city can qualify for new counter-terrorism funding.

'Don't Overreact'

FDNY's top-ranked fire officer, Chief of Department Frank Cruthers, promised that forthcoming rules and procedures from OEM would protect the fire service's prerogatives.

"The Mayor has assured me as well as the  Fire Commissioner, directly, that Fire Department personnel in a hazardous materials incident will continue to do what we've always done," Mr. Cruthers said. "No one should get too excited; we have a long ways to go yet."

OEM’s new plan will get a public vetting June 2 when City Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr. convenes a hearing of the Council's Public Safety Committee to examine the issue.

In his remarks to the graduates. Mr. Bloomberg said the new air masks the city will purchase, at a cost of $3.5 million, "will offer state-of-the-art protection against haz-mat substances such as nerve gases or dangerous chemicals."

Ready for Convention

FDNY officials said the masks will be delivered to firefighters in Manhattan and the Special Operations Division in time for August's National Republican Convention at Madison Square Garden.

The custom-fit masks have improved seals that will prevent outside air from leaking in, and won't deteriorate when exposed to toxic chemicals, the officials said.