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Q&A
Debate over the necessity of a fifth firefighter and current response strategies
3:37:16
ยท
117 sec
OMB officials and Council Member Ariola debate the necessity of a fifth firefighter and discuss current fire response strategies.
- OMB states that 90% of engine companies work safely with four firefighters
- First Deputy Budget Director explains the current flexible response system and its effectiveness
- Council Member Ariola challenges the assertion that fewer firefighters are better at fighting fires
Jacques Jiha
3:37:16
Firefighters, FDNY are exempted from the PEG, but again, when it comes to the fifth firefighter, we have 90% of our engine work safely with four firefighters.
3:37:33
You know, so, you know, you wanna add anything more to that?
Kenneth Godiner
3:37:36
You know, when we switched from five man staffing to what was called roster staffing, where we have a small number of companies with five men and five firefighters.
3:37:47
And most with four firefighters.
3:37:51
You know, we changed the way the fire department responded, right.
3:37:54
The five firefighter model involved the first two company attacking the fire under the flexible response that they went to.
3:38:04
And we're talking about early nineties.
3:38:07
Okay.
3:38:07
So nothing new here.
3:38:10
The first two company, if it's a four person company, arrives at the scene, starts to take the takes the hydrant, starts to perform the hose stretch, a second due company is immediately dispatched, right, so that by the time they have to enter the structure, are actually eight firefighters rather than five when they first entered the structure.
3:38:30
We have not seen any downside in in running this this way.
3:38:36
In fact, we think this is a more effective and safer way to fight fires.
3:38:40
In terms of the of apparatus being as old as you said, there are no frontline apparatus, trucks and engines, that are anywhere near that age.
3:38:52
There's actually a labor contract provision in the UFOA contract that requires us to replace the vehicles after eleven or twelve years.
3:39:03
And we are on that mandated replacement cycle.
3:39:06
So we may have vehicles that are 25 years old, but not frontline firefighting apparatus.