FDNY Units Back To Full Strength After Mandate Shortages: Mayor

New York City NY

05 November, 2021

12:17 PM

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NEW YORK CITY — A wave of scattered shortfalls in FDNY firefighter units after a coronavirus vaccine-or-no-pay mandate took effect appears to have broken, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. All 350 fire units across the city are fully operational, de Blasio told WNYC's Brian Lehrer on Friday. He said the department's vaccination rate now stands at 80 percent — a sharp increase from the 58 percent when the mandate for all municipal workers was announced. "Now what I'm saying in addition to all the fire houses being open, all units are operational," he said. "That's actually a stronger position than we are in normal times when typically some units are out of service for either training or maintenance." Firefighters proved to a stubborn — and worrisome — pocket of resistance to the vaccine mandate. Many protested the requirement and 2,300 called in sick as it took effect Monday — prompting fears that fire coverage in the city could be compromised. Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro lambasted the apparent sick out and threatened harsh discipline. "There are units that are under-staffed," he said Monday. "It could end immediately if members stopped calling in sick when they weren't sick." "The biggest consequence here for each individual is their moral consequence, but the department is not without tools to look into discipline for these members," he added. The situation eased by Friday. De Blasio said vaccination numbers didn't just rise among firefighters, but also the NYPD and sanitation department — which both had large numbers of workers vocally resist the requirement. He said 4,000 previously unvaccinated city workers have received their first shots this week after the mandate took effect. "We expect a lot more," he said.