The 5 p.m. deadline for city employees to receive at least one dose of the COVID vaccine has come and gone with members of the FDNY and NYPD continuing to protest against the mandate. NBC New York’s Andrew Siff reports.
Six FDNY members of Ladder 113 have been suspended for allegedly driving their truck to a state senator's New York City office and threatening his staff over the vaccine mandate for city workers.
The on-duty firefighters drove an in-service ladder truck to state Senator Zellnor Myrie's office in Brooklyn on Friday and questioned staff as to where the politician lives, a department spokesperson confirmed. The crew is accused of telling his staffers they would have "blood on their hands" Monday when unvaccinated workers must go on unpaid leave.
The group of firefighters also allegedly told the staff that if a fire was reported at Myrie's home they would not respond.
Commissioner Daniel Nigro condemned the alleged actions of the crew and told News 4 they had been relieved of duty for their actions and face disciplinary action.
“This is a highly inappropriate act by on duty members of this Department who should only be concerned with responding to emergencies and helping New Yorkers and not harassing an elected official and his staff. The members in question have been immediately relieved of duty and will face disciplinary action.”
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Myrie expressed his anger and confusion for half a dozen firefighters bombarding his office over a New York City mandate while they were on-duty.
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"I am outraged. One that on duty officers who were supposed to be focused on keeping us safe and responding to emergencies would attempt to use their uniforms and their fire truck to intimidate my staff. And secondly, it is disturbing that they would approach a state elected official for a city mandate and would I think offer veiled threats about my own safety by asking where I live personally," the state senator said.
The FDNY is looking at the potential for 20% of fire companies to be closed and 20% fewer ambulances on the road come Monday.
More than 1,000 FDNY personnel have applied for religious exemptions and will be able to continue on the job with weekly COVID testing as their respective Equal Employment Opportunity offices review the claims.
Unvaccinated members have until 5 p.m. Friday to meet Mayor Bill de Blasio's deadline. The city incentivized workers with $500 bonuses to get shots as well.
