Latest Outrage of Citywide Budget Cuts: Fewer Firefighters Will Be on the Job

By Yehudit Garmaise

Engine 247 on 13th Ave and 60th Street is one of 20 citywide fire stations that will see a decrease in staffing after the City had to cut $7 billion from residential city services as funds continue to be diverted to try to accommodate and house migrants.

Boro Park residents are shocked and outraged that fewer firefighters will be on the job as a result of the 5% of the city’s budget that had to be slashed from every city agency, as Mayor Eric Adams announced last month.

Now, the FDNY has removed the "fifth firefighter" from the 20 engine citywide companies, including one in Boro Park, the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) tweeted over the weekend.

“The fifth man” position is routinely added and removed to address staffing needs based on medical leave," said the FDNY, which added that the position is mandatory in firefighters’ labor contract.

According to FDNY data, however, a fifth firefighter helps to get hoses going on fires twice as quickly as crews without that fifth man.

UFA members said the reduction in staffing will increase the difficulty of fighting fires for the remaining firefighters.

"This will make surviving even harder if a person a fire if trapped in a fire," said UFA President Andrew Ansbro at a union meeting on Monday in Manhattan.

UFA members, who said they would continue to advocate for the “fifth man” in their teams, voiced their strong objections at the meeting.  

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh, however, said she is not worried. 

"The firefighters are incredible, and New Yorkers will remain safe," Kavanaugh told abc7ny.com.

“Let's hope the fires don't get worse now, as there is less help,” said Shmuel R., who noted that fires usually increase as the temperature drops.

“The City is prioritizing all the wrong things,” said Mayer S. on 13th Ave. “It’s just sick.”

“Money can always be replaced, but a loss of life is forever,” Ansbro said.