SALLY GOLDENBERG
The New York Post

Sparks flew over Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to shutter 20 fire companies yesterday, with the City Council demanding to know which ones are on the chopping block before they vote on his budget.


Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano refused to give up the list during a contentious council hearing, saying the administration is still finalizing it and has 45 days from the date of closure to inform members.

"The administration is asking us to make budget choices and priorities. To do it blind is not fair," Councilman Lew Fidler (D-Brooklyn) said.

Fire Safety Committee Chairwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Queens) told Cassano: "These are lives that we're talking about - lives that are hanging in the balance."

Despite the heated rhetoric, the council gave no indication it was willing to hold up a vote on Bloomberg's fiscal year 2012 budget - which takes effect July 1 - if he does not give them sufficient notice about which of the city's 341 fire companies are facing the ax. They merely threatened to submit a Freedom of Information request for the list.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn also demanded the list in a formal letter to Cassano but was not specific about what she would do if it's not furnished.

For several years, the council has restored money for fire companies Bloomberg has threatened to shutter with its own pot of discretionary funds.

Privately, some members predicted they will not have enough money to keep all 20 open.

Cassano said that shutting fire companies would hurt the FDNY's operations.

"The level of cuts we are facing now will negatively affect response times to fires and life-threatening medical emergencies," he said.

Copyright 2011 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
May 17, 2011