The NY Fire Patrol used to be funded by NY Board of Fire Underwriters. Insurance companies paid for their work. Since they were disbanded in 2006, FDNY has had to pick up their salvage work. Are there now any re-imbursement agreements for this work? When a truck is special called and operates performing salvage work, do insurance companies get a bill? Have truck special calls increased significantly since 2006 to pick up NYFP work? Performing actual salvage work in industrial complexes and office buildings can save corporations and insurance companies thousands or millions of dollars in damage. Fire Patrol members who did this work lost their jobs. It seems appropriate to send insurance companies a bill for services now rendered.
The concept was recently proposed to charge individuals who have FDNY fire units dispatched for a fender bender to their cars, even if they did not call for or need help. That seemed to be a rediculous and unfair scheme to squeeze bucks (another tax) from NYC citizens. But there seems to be other appropriate opportunities to reimburse FDNY for some of the work done to help defray department operating costs. I believe there is a reimbursement agreement with the National Park Service, for example. Should there be more agreements with corporations and other agencies? Can the department sell some of its training and inspection expertise?
I suspect millions of dollars are saved by agencies and corporations which operate within NYC which used to have their own internal fire departments, safety personnel and fire prevention personnel. There used to be a lot of federal/military fire departments within the city. There were also small industrial departments. I remember a lot of retired firefighters used to have second careers working for large companies and complexes as fire experts performing planning, inspections, training, safety and fire prevention work. I would guess most of those departments and opportunities no longer exist with cost-cutting corporate efforts.
These are times when FDNY and other departments are facing proposed cuts and reductions. It seems there might be appropriate concepts which don't squeeze the little guy which reimburse the department for what it already does or of offering special services and department expertise to corporations and utilities.
The concept was recently proposed to charge individuals who have FDNY fire units dispatched for a fender bender to their cars, even if they did not call for or need help. That seemed to be a rediculous and unfair scheme to squeeze bucks (another tax) from NYC citizens. But there seems to be other appropriate opportunities to reimburse FDNY for some of the work done to help defray department operating costs. I believe there is a reimbursement agreement with the National Park Service, for example. Should there be more agreements with corporations and other agencies? Can the department sell some of its training and inspection expertise?
I suspect millions of dollars are saved by agencies and corporations which operate within NYC which used to have their own internal fire departments, safety personnel and fire prevention personnel. There used to be a lot of federal/military fire departments within the city. There were also small industrial departments. I remember a lot of retired firefighters used to have second careers working for large companies and complexes as fire experts performing planning, inspections, training, safety and fire prevention work. I would guess most of those departments and opportunities no longer exist with cost-cutting corporate efforts.
These are times when FDNY and other departments are facing proposed cuts and reductions. It seems there might be appropriate concepts which don't squeeze the little guy which reimburse the department for what it already does or of offering special services and department expertise to corporations and utilities.
