Apparatus purchases/Firehouse closings

[grumpy grizzly]

I am a little confused/perplexed. Recently FDNY complete a purchase for multiple purchases of aerial units. At the same time the mayor of NY is contemplating closing numerous houses do to budget constraints. Are the two incidents completely seperate from each other, apparatus purchases/station closings. ???

 

[FDNY220122]

Yes, there a two different budgets for it.

 

[baileyjeff]

As I have said in other postings stop purchasing apparatus for now. What is FDNY going to do if we do close 62 companies as projected. Those apparatus will be sitting collecting dust. Delay apparatus purchasing and use that money to keep our firehouses open.

 

[fdny1984]

Let me see if I can help here. The big misconception is that you can transfer money from capitol to operations (general) budgets. you can't and here's why: the two budgets are funded differently. the general budget is funded largely by revenue where as a capitol budget is funded in large part by bonds which is, well basically financing. As far as having new apparatus sitting around collecting dust, I'm sure the shops will assign them to other companies.

 

[vbcapt]

To add:

It is correct that you cannot transfer money from a CIP budget to an Operating Budget.

Operating Budget pays for: salaries, fuel, expendables, utility usage etc..

CIP Budget pays for: fire trucks, new firehouses, computers etc...

The issue with me has always been...a bean counter can never justify to me that dropping 10 million in a CIP fund and then turning around to say you can't keep firehouses open makes any sense.

How about before placing monies into a CIP fund which adds to your debt service, which in turn you have to pay into every year, instead take the funds and place them into the operating budget and hold off on the big ticket CIP purchases for a little while. That you can do. A dollar is a dollar no matter which fund they're placed in.

 

[baileyjeff]

Ok you can assign new units to other units but remember just about every unit in FDNY has a new truck at this point.

 

[Atlas]

FDNY union contracts that first line fire apparatus can only be in service for a number of years. I think the number of years is 10 to 12 years of service. This forces the city to always purchase new rigs every year.