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Staten Island needs its own FDNY squad company, elected officials argue
Rescue Co. 5 is Staten Island's only unit specially trained for confined space and high angle rescues and Island officials are calling on the FDNY to create a new squad company. (Staten Island Advance/Hilton Flores)
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on June 16, 2015 at 11:42 AM, updated June 16, 2015 at 5:53 PM
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island is the only borough without an FDNY squad company and it's about time it gets one, the Isand's elected officials say.
Borough President James Oddo recently sent a letter to FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro, asking for the Island to receive its own squad company, which would be trained at expert levels on both hazardous material and special rescue.
All of the Island's elected officials signed the letter in support of a new squad company.
"As with every decision that you make, we acknowledge that this request would cost money, but it would be money well spent better protecting Staten Islanders, and is a small sum when compared to both the overall city and FDNY budgets," Oddo wrote. "We believe the time to right an inequity that has existed for far too long is now. We are ready to work with you to make history."
Eric Bischoff, Uniformed Firefighters Association trustee from Staten Island, said that there are seven squad companies in the four other boroughs but none on the Island.
He explained that there is a HazTech unit, which handles hazardous chemical spills and the like, located at Engine Co. 165 in New Dorp. It is also the busiest company on the Island, he said.
Rescue Co. 5 in Concord is trained in confined space rescues and high angle rescues and reports to incidents in southern Brooklyn often, leaving Staten Island with no team to respond to confined space calls. The unit responded to the collapsed roof at the Dana Ford Lincoln dealership that left one person dead in November.
Having the "trained elite" of a squad company putting their mixed skills to use would provide needed fire protection for the Island, whose population and industry has grown, "yet the fire protection is not growing," Bischoff said. "There's a need to have a borough specific squad."
Such a squad would probably include four officers and 25 firefighters, Bischoff said, and would cost approximately $2.2 million annually.
"It's way overdue," he said, adding it has been talked about in FDNY circles for a long time.
With space available in some of the Island's 18 fire department buildings, "There's absolutely no need to create new quarters, we have the facilities existing right now to get this done."
A spokesman for the FDNY said, "The FDNY received the letter and the request is under review."
This story has been updated to include a comment from the FDNY.
Borough President James Oddo recently sent a letter to FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro, asking for the Island to receive its own squad company, which would be trained at expert levels on both hazardous material and special rescue.
All of the Island's elected officials signed the letter in support of a new squad company.
"As with every decision that you make, we acknowledge that this request would cost money, but it would be money well spent better protecting Staten Islanders, and is a small sum when compared to both the overall city and FDNY budgets," Oddo wrote. "We believe the time to right an inequity that has existed for far too long is now. We are ready to work with you to make history."
Eric Bischoff, Uniformed Firefighters Association trustee from Staten Island, said that there are seven squad companies in the four other boroughs but none on the Island.
He explained that there is a HazTech unit, which handles hazardous chemical spills and the like, located at Engine Co. 165 in New Dorp. It is also the busiest company on the Island, he said.
Rescue Co. 5 in Concord is trained in confined space rescues and high angle rescues and reports to incidents in southern Brooklyn often, leaving Staten Island with no team to respond to confined space calls. The unit responded to the collapsed roof at the Dana Ford Lincoln dealership that left one person dead in November.
Having the "trained elite" of a squad company putting their mixed skills to use would provide needed fire protection for the Island, whose population and industry has grown, "yet the fire protection is not growing," Bischoff said. "There's a need to have a borough specific squad."
Such a squad would probably include four officers and 25 firefighters, Bischoff said, and would cost approximately $2.2 million annually.
"It's way overdue," he said, adding it has been talked about in FDNY circles for a long time.
With space available in some of the Island's 18 fire department buildings, "There's absolutely no need to create new quarters, we have the facilities existing right now to get this done."
A spokesman for the FDNY said, "The FDNY received the letter and the request is under review."
This story has been updated to include a comment from the FDNY.
7 comments
Did we forget that NYPD ESU (Emergency Service Unit) is highly trained in high angle rescue and confined space rescue. So there is not just one unit "FDNY" that is only trained in those types of rescues.
NYPD emergency service unit is trained in confined space and high angle rescue. Who do you think get all the jumpers off the VZ bridge.
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