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The Mayor and City Council have reached a tentative deal restoring funding for the four companies that were slated to be closed this July 1st and the additional twelve companies that were scheduled to be closed on January 1, 2010. This is for the fiscal year budget July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. Since February the UFA has fought the Fire Commissioner and Mayor to keep all the targeted companies open and continue staffing at our current levels. Our ad campaign was City and State wide. The UFA personally lobbied all of our key elected officials.
We would like to thank Chairman James Vacca (Chairman of the Fire & Criminal Justice Services Committee) and all the City Council members who supported our efforts to keep the Bloomberg administration from closing firehouses. The Fire Commissioner's demand that the UFA give up the fifth firefighter on 60 five-man engine companies exposed them as uncaring bureaucrats willing to compromise the safety of Firefighters and the public. The membership's support of the Executive Board's decision to fight proposed staffing reductions was a key to our victory.
Fraternally,
Stephen J. Cassidy
President
Joseph A. Miccio
Recording Secretary
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