Monday morning’s major newspapers reported Commissioner Scoppetta’s disparaging statements about alcohol use by NYC Firefighters, "Right now, the regulations are ambiguous and some of the rules cannot be enforced. We need to take a comprehensive look at what to do with this issue.” He also noted, "Maybe there should be a range of penalties that include termination."
In immediate response, UFA and UFOA Presidents Steve Cassidy and Pete Gorman held a press conference at the UFA early Monday afternoon and interviews with most major NY TV, Newspaper and Radio stations pointing out that the Dept’s AUC 202 is clear and specific—not ambiguous—as the Commissioner erroneously stated. President Cassidy was quoted, “the commissioner is missing the point. It's not the policy that needs the work, it's how the department handles the problem, the union says. He needs to reach out to people,” said Steve Cassidy, the president of the United Firefighter’s Association. “Where's the educational process? There is none. To say that if you come forward we'll help you but if you don't we'll fire you is not solving the problem…it needs to be addressed in an educational format.” President Cassidy also pointed out on the evening news that every major health professional expert predicted that after several years NYC firefighters were going to suffer PTS, including alcohol problems. And now that it is happening, the Dept has chosen to ignore it. Their solution is to punish.
Also at the press conference, President Cassidy repeatedly noted that the Dept is misguided to devote efforts into off-duty firefighter activities while on-duty firefighters still have no clear direction regarding who is in charge of Hazmat incidents, which will be an immediate life and safety issue for all New Yorkers when the next major incident occurs. The UFA is extremely concerned with the lack of leadership demonstrated by the FDNY in its failure to retain the Fire Departments role as the led agency in Haz-Mat incidents, and will continue to address these matters with City Council, and keep the public informed through the media.
