|
|
 |
 |
The following statement was release on Tuesday, December 7, 2004 by the UFA Executive Board to all major New York area media:
More than 350 New York City Firefighters joined with Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy and the UFA Executive Board in midtown-Manhattan to announce a vote of No Confidence in Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. The UFA represents 8,800 active New York City Firefighters and a combined total of more than 20,000 active and retired city firefighters. It is the largest firefighters union local in the world.
Citing more than a dozen reasons and instances when the Commissioner failed to act in the best interest of the FDNY and the citizens that the department is sworn to protect, firefighters overwhelmingly approved a motion of No Confidence calling upon the Commissioner to resign. The UFA Executive Board also voted unanimously on a vote of No Confidence in Commissioner Scoppetta.
According to UFA President Steve Cassidy, "Since at least June of this year we have been highly concerned about the lack of leadership in the FDNY and have expressed that concern. Commissioner Scoppetta has done nothing to ensure continued leadership in the Fire Department since taking its helm, but among his worst acts have been his continuing rejection of the wisdom of past FDNY chiefs and sending fire companies out undermanned just to bolster his response time data."
In a detailed report on FDNY staffing reductions in 1981, FDNY's then Chief of Department John Hart wrote, "In my judgment and in the considered judgment of my staff, all of whom have more than 25 years experience in firefighting, 4 firefighters on duty with an engine company is an absolute minimum and does not represent an adequate manned company." The vote taken today by the UFA's delegates represent every engine company, every ladder company, every specialty unit and every fire house in the City of New York.
Among Reasons Why 8,800 NYC Firefighters Have No Confidence In The FDNY Commissioner - The Commissioner refused to support pension reform legislation that would have enabled more than 3,000 of the most experienced firefighters & fire officers to stay and help the FDNY's transition and rebuilding post-9/11. This has resulted in the FDNY going from the most experienced fire department in the world to one with almost 1/3 of its ranks new, inexperienced and still learning the job since 9/11.
- Commissioner Scoppetta failed to support the UFA program of corporate sponsorship to keep firehouses open throughout the city at no cost to the FDNY and advocated for the closure of firehouses. He further has a policy of closing up to 20 fire companies per day without informing the public, which compromises public safety.
- The Commissioner advocated and gave away the FDNY's lead role at HazMat situations. The FDNY is now the only fire department in the United States not to be in charge at HazMat emergencies.
- Punished firefighters who suffered injuries in the line of duty while fighting fires and while working at the World Trade Center with threat of transfer, sending a message that bravery and putting your life on the line for citizens may get you punished and transferred.
- Nick Scoppetta's fire department is not driven by public safety or firefighter safety but the mirage of response times. This is deliberately misleading the public about emergency response times as the department continues to say one unit in front of a building is an adequate response. Now the department says that one unit with only 2 firefighters is an adequate response.
- The commissioner persecuted a chauffer involved in a fatal collision and then said firefighters no longer had to stop at red lights and stop signs, so not to hurt his response time statistics.
- In the wake of 9/11 when experts predicted the need for additional counseling in the FDNY, the Commissioner's response was instead to pursue a zero tolerance policy driving those with problems underground.
- The fire commissioner completely disregarded results of the most extensive study of firefighter stress and trauma in the history of the United States -- conducted by Cornell University's School of Industrial & Labor Relations -- which suggested how to improve these problems in the fire department.
- Commissioner Scoppetta has sought to prosecute firefighters instead of leading them and under his tenure the department has gone from the greatest and proudest fire department in the world to one that is leaderless post-9/11.
- Ruling as a reactionary, the commissioner has provided no guidance or leadership, taking action ONLY when the news media has picked up on an issue or turned it into a story, whether merited or not.
- Under Commissioner Scoppetta there has been an increase in substandard health and safety conditions in significant numbers of firehouses throughout the city.
- Despite being a prosecutor, the Commissioner has done nothing to investigate or correct the FDNY's secretive no-bid vendor contracts process.
- The cumulative effect of his actions and lack of leadership has resulted in the lowest morale in the history of the FDNY.
- On top of all of these, most recently the Commissioner advocated for 20% reduction in Engine Company manning (from 5 down to 4) against advice of top commanders, compromising civilian and firefighter safety. He then took this dangerous policy to a new level when he ordered that fire companies with as few as two firefighters should respond to structural fires.
Stephen J. Cassidy
President
Joseph A. Miccio
Recording Secretary
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
