FDNY prepared to pick up slack after private ambulance company files for bankruptcy

POSTED 6:57 PM, FEBRUARY 25, 2016, BY KALA RAMA, UPDATED AT 07:45PM, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

LONG ISLAND CITY, Queens ––TransCare ambulances will soon stop responding to 911 calls across two of their busiest boroughs –– Manhattan and the Bronx.

The private ambulance company filed for Chapter 7 Wednesday, taking 27 ambulances out of service, which means 81 shifts need to be filled.

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the department is prepared to pick up the slack.

Temporarily we have some people in overtime and we will using our spare ambulances equipped to do this," Nigro said." We have teams of firefighters 24 seven that are put out in the Bronx specifically for this purpose CFRD trained."

The FDNY said in a statement that it has been aware of Transcare’s financial difficulties for months and has developed contingency plans, both short and long term, in anticipation of the bankruptcy.

But Vincent Viarale, head of the union representing lieutenants and captains covering these shifts says there's reason to worry if there is a major incident.

He says maintaining regular service during a city wide emergency would be a struggle citing this as a reason not to contract vital services out to Private Companies.

Commissioner Nigro said The FDNY is prepared to pick up the shifts as long as necessary.