Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Did Budget Cuts Make Deadly Brooklyn Fire Worse?
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Feb 12, 2011
Modified Feb 12, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Feb 12, 2011
Modified Feb 12, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday, a 3-alarm fire in Brooklyn left one civilian critically injured and an elderly woman dead. Officials say it took about 130 firefighters to control the blaze, and a UFA rep says that it wouldn't have been nearly as bad if it weren't for Bloomberg. UFA President Steve Cassidy said in a statement, “One person lost their life, another is in critical condition and seven firefighters are hurt and countless are homeless in the wake of FDNY staff reductions mandated by the mayor."
Officials confirm that four of the first five companies to respond had lost a firefighter because of staffing and budget cuts, and Cassidy explained, "Reducing engine company staffing by one firefighter doubles the time it takes to begin getting water on a fire and allows fires to double in size every minute. The mayor is playing Russian roulette with New Yorkers lives." Fire unions are currently trying to appeal the cuts, which removed a firefighter from 60 of the 194 engine companies in the city. However, FDNY spokesman Frank Gribbon said the cuts weren't to blame. "The changes in staffing levels had nothing to do with this unfortunate tragedy," he said. "These guys did about as good of a job as could be done."
Gribbon noted that at least two engine companies responded in about five minutes, which is faster than the FDNY's average response time. He also said, "Reducing the staffing on [all] the engines from five to four [firefighters] is preferable to closing firehouses."
Tagged
brooklyn
fdny
fire
staffing cuts
UFA
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .