VIDEO: There’s a new push to increase the number of firefighters on New York City fire engines. Right now, there are five firefighters on only 20 fire engines, which is just 10 percent of the department’s fleet. Supporters want to increase the number of 5 firefighters per engine to half of the entire fleet.
In a year when New York City has seen 46 fatal fires in just the first five months of the year, including a 61-year-old man killed Monday morning in Sunnyside, Queens, city leaders are searching to address the problem to save lives.
“Behind each of these statistics lies a story of sorrow, a life that is cut short, a loss, and a single moment that lasts forever for their loved ones and for our city,” NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin said.
Menin said the firefighters’ unions and several other council members are calling for five-person crews in 86 engine companies that are the busiest and deadliest areas of the city.
“The FDNY only reports how long it takes for the first unit to arrive in a fire. It does not report how long it takes to get water on the fire. It takes quite a bit of time to assemble the entire team. It takes longer to get all the rigs there. That’s why it’s more important to have the first arriving engines having this initial staffing. You get that hose in place quickly,” Andrew Ansbro with the Uniformed Firefighters Association said.
“The fifth firefighter is only not necessarily a silver bullet to stop to solve all of those problems.” During a city council budget meeting on Monday afternoon, FDNY Brass told the council it’s unclear if adding a fifth firefighter will improve response times.
WABC-TV ABC 7 New York City
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