The FDNY shuttered 26 fire companies citywide Saturday morning because of staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 vaccination mandate — an “unconscionable” move some officials fear could have catastrophic consequences.
The stunning lockdown came amid a pitched battle between City Hall, which will start enforcing a mandate Monday that all workers have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine — and jab-resisting fire fighters, many reportedly saying they were already sick with the coronavirus and therefore have “natural immunity.”
Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican who represents Staten Island and Brooklyn, tweeted Saturday that five of the companies were in her district — and said it’s Mayor Bill de Blasio who could have blood on his hands.
“If someone dies due to a slower emergency response, it’s on Bill de Blasio and his overreaching mandates. I hope this fool fixes it ASAP!” tweeted Malliotakis.
No borough or neighborhood — posh or not — were spared, with shuttered companies running the gamut from Engine 55 in Lower Manhattan, to Engine 234 in Crown Heights, to Engine 231 in Brownsville. Others included Ladder 128 in Long Island City and Engine 158 and Ladder 78 in Richmond on Staten Island, according to information provided by Malliotakis and Councilman Joe Borelli who cited the Uniformed Firefighters Association.
FDNY Spokesman Jim Long insisted the closings are not permanent, describing the companies as “temporarily out of service” and the situation “fluid” since it was shifting firefighters to units where they were needed.
That was little solace to retired electrician Vinny Agro, 63, who lives across the street from now-offline Engine 284 in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
“We’re f–ked. We are going to toast like marshmallows,” Agro told The Post. “It’s another sad day for New York City.”
A man who lives next door to the firehouse said Saturday he had not seen smokeaters for about 24 hours and they were desperately needed in the neighborhood.
“Most of the houses here are semi attached frame houses. You throw a match on it and it goes up real quick,” he said. “You need a quick response…it’s scary.”
Fire officials said last week they were prepared to shutter as much as 20 percent of the companies citywide.
Saturday’s temporary closures represent 7.6 percent of the 341 engine and ladder companies across the city.
But that’s still an “unconscionable” number, said Borelli, a Staten Island Republican who chairs the committee on fire and emergency management.
“The firefighters who are unable to work have all been tested within the week and are not COVID positive, and I doubt New Yorkers care about the vaccine status of the person applying defibrillators to their chest.”
Donald Watson, 57, a duct worker and downtown Brooklyn resident, said New York’s Bravest were just “looking out for themselves.”
“It’s sad we have to go through this because of COVID,” Watson said. “A lot of them don’t want to take the shot. C’mon. It’s nothing but a shot.”
The FDNY’s vaccination rate stood at 72 percent for firefighters — and 77 percent agency wide — at the end of Friday, the city’s deadline for workers to get at least one shot of the COVID vaccine, according to data from City Hall. Nearly 4,000 FDNY employees remained unvaccinated.
The mandate is expected to be enforced beginning Monday and 26,600 city workers across all agencies were still unvaccinated as of Friday night, according to City Hall. Those who don’t have at least one jab will be suspended without pay.The NYPD’s number stood at 84 percent vaccinated and the Sanitation Department had 77 percent of employees who had the jab.
The 77th police precinct in Crown Heights was slow to respond to calls Friday night as four officers working the 4 p.m. to midnight shift called in sick, sources said. Call logs seen by The Post showed response times of more than two hours in some cases.
“We have contingency plans in place if necessary and there will not be any shortages in any commands. There will be no reduction in police services,” an NYPD spokeswoman said.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, the frontrunner in Tuesday’s mayoral election, said that city leaders needed to sit down with union heads and figure out how to get workers vaccinated.
“Let’s stop yelling at each other and talk to each other, and find out what are the hurdles,” Adams said.
The FDNY has blamed the short staffing on firefighters calling out sick, with one insider saying “hundreds” of firefighters have been taking medical leave to protest the mandate.
“It’s definitely a sickout. It’s a job action,” the insider said. “If they call in sick they have to go to the medical office. The medical office is overwhelmed.”
More than two dozen FDNY members were seen leaving the department’s medical office at the MetroTech center in Brooklyn Saturday.
One EMT who was at the center for a checkup said people would be fleeing the FDNY.
“People that aren’t retiring or quitting right out are gonna be on unpaid leave like myself. There’s not going to be enough bodies,” said the 23-year-old EMT who did not want to give his name. “You know New York City, the call volume is high and the manpower in general is bad, without all this going on. We are always needing more people. It’s going to be a little crazy.”
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro called the excessive sick leave “unacceptable.”
A memo sent Friday to the members of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association said it was “still in negotiations” with the Office of Labor Relations “for an extension to the deadline as well as alternate methods of implementation to maintain the safety of the public and choice for our membership.”
The memo, which was seen by The Post, advised all members, whether vaccinated or not, to report for duty when scheduled and to make notations in the fire company’s journal about why they were asked to leave.
De Blasio has held firm, saying Thursday the city would not extend the jab deadline.
Vaccinations did surge statewide this week, with 103,348 doses administered from Friday to Saturday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday. On Monday, less than half that number — 45,217 doses, had been given out in the previous 24 hours.
FDNY firehouses shuttered over vaccine staffing shortages (nypost.com)
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