NEWBURGH FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING CUTS 7/12/22

[mack]

Cuts to the NFD recently reduced the number of firefighters required on duty from 10 members to 7. A statement from the International Association of Firefighters says Newburgh's city manager announced the closure of Engine Company 1 on Grand Street in January. It officially closed on June 15, one day before a June fire which killed a woman.

Newburgh (NY) Firefighters, Mayor Square Off Over Staffing Cuts' Effect in Fatal Fire - FirefighterNation: Fire Rescue - Firefighting News and Community

Firefighters charge that staffing cuts hindered their response to a fire Wednesday that killed a woman and injured her son.

www.firefighternation.com

Newburgh mayor alleges fire department overtime scam amidst safety controversy

That tension was seen at a public meeting Monday night where multiple people raised concerns and a veteran firefighter was escorted out by police.

westchester.news12.com

 

[mack]

City of Newburgh Firefighters IAFF Local 589​

July 9 at 6:35 AM ·


Engine- 2 firefighters, 1 Company Officer
Truck- 2 firefighters, 1 Company officer
1 Assistant chief

City of Newburgh Firefighters IAFF Local 589

City of Newburgh Firefighters IAFF Local 589. 7,541 likes · 189 talking about this. Nonprofit organization

www.facebook.com

 

[mack]

In 2020, NFD was cut from 13 FFs on duty to 10 FFs.

Newburgh Firefighters Spend First Day Fighting Fires Since Layoffs

One suffered burns while fighting flames.

www.ny1.com

They are now cut to 7 FFs on duty - 4 FFs, 2 officers, 1 chief - 1 engine & 1 truck



NFD protects a diverse population of approximately 28,000.

NFD had operated out of two citywide firehouses with four engine companies (including two reserve engines), two ladder companies (including one reserve ladder), one fire boat, one fire alarm truck, and seven support units. (Wikipedia)

 

[mack]

 

[CFDMarshal]

2nd Alarm gets who?

 

[nfd2004]

Responding every time a city like Newburgh gets a "food on the stove" is NOT what mutual aid is all about.

With these cutbacks, surrounding mutual aid fire departments should REFUSE to respond within the City of Newburgh, as they are stripping THEIR OWN TOWNS and RESPONSE AREA of FIRE PROTECTION.

The Fire Service throughout the country is a BROTHERHOOD and this to me is a criminal act putting it's firefighters, as well as it's 26,000 citizens and their property at risk.

I can assure Newburgh, "they are NOT alone"
Too many political leaders like to "roll the dice" when it comes to fire protection and they put the fire service at the bottom of their priority list.

 

[CVILLE7111]

Working fire gets who?

Responding every time a city like Newburgh gets a "food on the stove" is NOT what mutual aid is all about.

With these cutbacks, surrounding mutual aid fire departments should REFUSE to respond within the City of Newburgh, as they are stripping THEIR OWN TOWNS and RESPONSE AREA of FIRE PROTECTION.

The Fire Service throughout the country is a BROTHERHOOD and this to me is a criminal act putting it's 26,000 citizens and their property at risk.

I can assure Newburgh, "they are NOT alone"
Too many political leaders like to "roll the dice" when it comes to fire protection and they put the fire service at the bottom of their priority list.

Sounds like the 70s again

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Sounds like the 70s again

This has been my issue about mutual aid for a long time. It is designed when you pull up and have a 4 story vacant warehouse involved that will tax all the efforts and rescources of your department. You know, that "Oh shit" fire. It was not designed to fill in every day vacancies due to the fact the politician and his bean counter buddy have decided to cut the engine that sits in the house. When that aid to cover town A has to come from town B you are decreasing the assests of that town to provide service, whether it be a fire, MVA, or EMS to its citizens who are paying this via their taxes. Maybe if the fine folks of town B see their equipment spending more time in town A to fill THEIR EMPTY firehouse than for what they are paying for they will tell town A to square their ship away. Like I said mutual aid for a situation way above what you can handle on a daily, fully-staffed basis no problem, you are right it is a brotherhood, help is on the way. But to cover a house when you have laid off ff's is disrespectful to those guys now without a job. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

In 2020, NFD was cut from 13 FFs on duty to 10 FFs.

Newburgh Firefighters Spend First Day Fighting Fires Since Layoffs

One suffered burns while fighting flames.

www.ny1.com

They are now cut to 7 FFs on duty - 4 FFs, 2 officers, 1 chief - 1 engine & 1 truck



NFD protects a diverse population of approximately 28,000.

NFD had operated out of two citywide firehouses with four engine companies (including two reserve engines), two ladder companies (including one reserve ladder), one fire boat, one fire alarm truck, and seven support units. (Wikipedia)

4 ff's on duty, well someone has to operate the pump for a water supply, and someone might have to control the stick. Make that 2 ff's available to do something.

 

[mack]

 

[mack]

This was a 3rd alarm in April in Newburgh which required similar mutual aid:



The City of Newburgh assisted by Stewart ANG, West Point, Castle Point VA, Cronomer Valley, and Vails Gate operated at this multi-alarm structure fire at # 11 South Miller Street around 7 AM Saturday morning as shift change was occurring at NFD. The structure which was a vacant, was known to be occupied by a squatter much like many of the other vacant buildings in the city. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire throughout the structure with exposure issues. With limited manpower due to the city cutting staffing levels, firefighters went to work searching the structure to verify that there was no one within and began knocking down the fire as numerous mutual-aid departments were requested to the scene to assist. With the majority of the fire knocked down, the flat roof was the last challenge to completely extinguish the fire as interior crews pulled ceilings to access the voids where the fire had eluded them. Here is a link to a gallery of all images from the incident:

https://www.fdphotounit.com/11-South-Miller-Street-City.../

 

[mack]

A Newburgh 2nd alarm in March​

Orange County NY Fire Calls​

March 14 ·

***2nd Alarm Structure Fire***
City of Newburgh Fire | House Explosion | 449 First St

 

[mack]

Newburgh NY also has another reputation in addition to an understaffed fire department - crime. It ranks as the most dangerous city in NY in 2022. Another reason the safety of NFD firefighters is compromised with reduced crews working in high crime neighborhoods.

The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In New York In 2022 - Van Life Wanderer

To determine which cities in New York are the most dangerous, we compiled data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report and sorted each city’s violent crime rate. Violent crimes include: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.

vanlifewanderer.com

 

[fdhistorian]

This was a 3rd alarm in April in Newburgh which required similar mutual aid:

View attachment 22611

The City of Newburgh assisted by Stewart ANG, West Point, Castle Point VA, Cronomer Valley, and Vails Gate operated at this multi-alarm structure fire at # 11 South Miller Street around 7 AM Saturday morning as shift change was occurring at NFD. The structure which was a vacant, was known to be occupied by a squatter much like many of the other vacant buildings in the city. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire throughout the structure with exposure issues. With limited manpower due to the city cutting staffing levels, firefighters went to work searching the structure to verify that there was no one within and began knocking down the fire as numerous mutual-aid departments were requested to the scene to assist. With the majority of the fire knocked down, the flat roof was the last challenge to completely extinguish the fire as interior crews pulled ceilings to access the voids where the fire had eluded them. Here is a link to a gallery of all images from the incident:

https://www.fdphotounit.com/11-South-Miller-Street-City.../

View attachment 22612

View attachment 22613

Stewart ANG, West Point, Castle Point VA are state and federal funded departments serving highly fire protected facilities.

 

[entropychaser]

The solution is simple.
1) Raise taxes
2) Close the library, city pool, stop fixing pot holes, clearing the streets in the winter, etc.
3) Borrow money from the (junk) municipal bond market Let your grandkids pay for it
4) Pretend to be Argentina-print money
5) See if China will buy the city
6) Move to Florida

 

[mack]

Newburgh also has another reputation in addition to its understaffed fire department:

"The most dangerous city in New York is Newburgh. In 2019, Newburgh had a violent crime rate of 1,129.32 per 100,000 people and a property crime rate of 8,019.19 per 100,000 people."

The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In New York In 2022 - Van Life Wanderer

To determine which cities in New York are the most dangerous, we compiled data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report and sorted each city’s violent crime rate. Violent crimes include: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.

vanlifewanderer.com

 

[STAjo]

Newburgh also has another reputation in addition to its understaffed fire department:

"The most dangerous city in New York is Newburgh. In 2019, Newburgh had a violent crime rate of 1,129.32 per 100,000 people and a property crime rate of 8,019.19 per 100,000 people."

The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In New York In 2022 - Van Life Wanderer

To determine which cities in New York are the most dangerous, we compiled data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report and sorted each city’s violent crime rate. Violent crimes include: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.

vanlifewanderer.com

My Thanks for the excellent reporting of Newburgh, NY Fire Services.
About 2 Yr.s ago, I lived in Wallkill (Ulster) NY, [Often Confused w/ Wallkill (Orange) NY - about 12 or so Mi. N. & E. of Ulster, near
Middletown, (Orange) NY] . Wallkill (Ulster) about 10 Mi. West of Newburgh.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/W...69e0b816e779d7!8m2!3d41.6056492!4d-74.1840358 Stewart Air National Guard (ANG) FD located at
Stewart Airport - ANG Base adjoins Airport.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallkill,_Ulster_County,_New_York

There is absolutely Nothing in Wallkill (Ulster) in the way of Professional/Health/Commercial Services, so we had to go to either
Newburgh or Middletown. Wallkill does not have either a Pharmacy or Supermarket..
So, I went to Newburgh often. Pardon my Rude observation; but the place is a Real Dump.(There are decent-enough places in
in the adjoining Town of Newburgh - Medical Clinics, Supermarkets, Pharmacies, Wal-Mart etc...).
Stewart ANG, West Point, Castle Point VA are Excellent Professional FD's, but, as noted, each at least a few minutes out from
the City of Newburgh. (That's the Only Way Newburgh 'gets away with' these Drastic, Dreadful Cuts, having Full-Time Professional,
Capable Departments nearby).
Town of Newburgh ( Cronomer VFD) also a City of Newburgh Mutual Aid Department.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/2...88542!8m2!3d41.5495833!4d-74.0586988?hl=en-US

But, being a VFD, Vollies have to drive via personal vehicles to Fire Station to pick-up Rigs to Respond to a Job. This of course, involves Valuable Time spent in-transit, as City Fires advance & worsen in those crucial first few moments.
https://www.cvfd-fire.org/about/

I last moved from Wallkill, outside of Newburgh (#1 on above posted 'Crime List'), to Binghamton (#5).
Trouble just seems to follow me around... 😉

 

[CFDMarshal]

You can come to Tennessee but we have a new entrance exam. I run an exam prep class for those interested. PM me for cost and info.

 

[STAjo]

Please don’t come to Florida. Too many people here already from NY, NJ, IL, and CA who totally fecked up their states with socialist policies and now want to come here and do the same to our beautiful state.

I Think Our Site Rules Prohibit Political Comments Such as: 'Too many people here already from NY, NJ, IL, and CA who totally fecked up their states with socialist policies and now want to come here and do the same to our beautiful state.'

 

[68jk09]

I still get chills when I hear Watertown .....in January '65 when I was in the USMC were were Cross Training with the US Army at Camp Drum (now Fort Drum) in Watertown NY for Cold Weather Training.....a little classroom but mostly Field Exercises around the clock for days at a clip.....SNOW & COLD.