Chief Leader

During a press conference at the union's headquarters, Mr. Cassidy said he recently obtained a Power Point presentation that high-ranking department officials made March 24, 2005 to Mr. Scoppetta outlining how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could partially fund a helicopter that could be used for "fire suppression, search and rescue, resource deployment, command and control, reconnaissance and medical evacuation."

Deployed in Other Cities

Fire departments in Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami have such helicopters. The proposal noted that the 9/11 Commission had asked Mr. Scoppetta how the department could fight high-rise fires and rescue people if the exits were totally blocked. The proposal came two days after Battalion Chief William Siegel outlining the need for inspections and a detailed fire plan for the Deutsche Bank building, where two Firefighters died battling a blaze Aug. 18. The standpipe was found to be non-operational that day.

"The New York City Fire Department, no fire department, can fight a fire at the top of a high-rise if they don't have water," Mr. Cassidy said. "What are we to do? Let people die in the building? What are we to do? Let the building burn to the ground? This proposal offered solutions, and yet the Fire Commissioner of the City of New York failed to act. It's another demonstration of his failed leadership."

Mr. Cassidy also doubted that the costs of a department helicopter would have made it unfeasible.

"New York City remains the number one terrorist target, so I think it's clear that we would have got a substantial amount of money from Homeland Security," he said.

Other Funding Sources

In addition to U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding, the proposal stated, the money for an aerial program would come from the department budget, a "discretionary grant" and "private funding." The proposal stated that the helicopter could be used throughout the northeastern United States.

The department has long considered acquiring a helicopter, but has identified certain safety problems, it indicated last week.

"It is simply unsafe to use helicopters to suppress high-rise fires in New York City, and the Fire Department has repeatedly rejected that idea due to many operational concerns," department spokesman Francis X. Gribbon said in a statement. "However, helicopters have proven to be a valuable resource for surveillance and we have established a protocol with the NYPD. On Aug. 18, 2007 a Battalion Chief was sent up in an NYPD helicopter to monitor the fire at the former Deutsche Bank building."

L.A. Capt.: 'It's Doable'

Capt. Larry Collins of the Los Angeles County Fire Department agreed that there were problems with smoke columns and winds that a helicopter fighting a high-rise fire would encounter. But while it would carry risks, he noted that it was possible to devise an aerial firefighting program.

"For the fire department that currently doesn't have a helicopter in its fleet, you know, it's a pretty big jump to say 'let's begin a helicopter operation,''' he said. "It does get fairly complex. However, there are departments that have developed helicopter programs in recent years. It's all doable if the political will is there."

Mr. Cassidy's broadside was the latest in a string of criticisms of Mr. Scoppetta's leadership since two UFA members, Firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino, died fighting the Deutsche Bank building fire Aug. 18. On Sept. 5, Mr. Cassidy alleged that the department was not looking into what happened prior to the Aug. 18 incident. Before that, he called on the State Attorney General to investigate the fire, saying he did not believe the department could fairly probe it.

UFOA: Worth Trying

Uniformed Fire Officers Association President John J. McDonnell said in a phone interview that in his career in the department, officers had always talked about having a helicopter, but he had only heard about this specific proposal from Mr. Cassidy on Sept. 12.

"I can only assume the Fire Commissioner turned down the offer due to the associated costs, such as maintenance and pilot pay and fuel and God knows what else," Battalion Chief McDonnell said. "I think the Fire Department should have a helicopter. The need for a helicopter was certainly evidenced on Sept. 11, 2001."