"FDNY Disability Pay Cause For Alarm"-Pol

[INIT915 1,119]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02092009/news/..._pol_154196.htm

A city lawmaker yesterday called for a "crackdown on abuses" after The Post reported that more than seven in 10 firefighters have been retiring on disability pensions, costing cash-strapped New York nearly $1 billion a year.

Firefighters have boosted their pensions to unprecedented levels, partly by claiming job-related injuries or illnesses.

[R1SmokeEater 359]

I'm sick of this already !! Yea- it's us Civil Servants that ruined the Economy ! No one ever cared about us, the lowly Civil Servant- "Come serve me" until Joe Wall $teet, making unheard of money, loses his job and car- NOW, why do all these guys (us) have jobs and benefits ???? Wahhhhhhh-Wahhhhhh !!!! I'm not saying the system is perfect, but we are everyday blue collar workers, I'm paying a mortgage (on a small home) and supporting a Family, and not rich ! How about some of these people give back some of their money ?!?! If not, how about a nice big cup of STFU !!!!! ................Done w/ my rant :angry:

[JFLYNN 681]

I'm sick of this already !! Yea- it's us Civil Servants that ruined the Economy ! No one ever cared about us, the lowly Civil Servant- "Come serve me" until Joe Wall $teet, making unheard of money, loses his job and car- NOW, why do all these guys (us) have jobs and benefits ???? Wahhhhhhh-Wahhhhhh !!!! I'm not saying the system is perfect, but we are everyday blue collar workers, I'm paying a mortgage (on a small home) and supporting a Family, and not rich ! How about some of these people give back some of their money ?!?! If not, how about a nice big cup of STFU !!!!! ................Done w/ my rant :angry:

I love you lil' buddy...everything will be ok I promise... I'm glad you let it all out, now qtip...

[helicopper 1,050]

Is the article stating that 70% of all retirements from the FDNY are disability retirements? That does seem to be pretty high. Maybe there are underlying problems in the City that need to be corrected (be it staffing, equipment, procedures) so the members are protected from injury/illness and can retire normally.

Somewhere is a panel of doctors making the determination that these FF's are disabled. It certainly isn't the FF themselves that are inflating their pensions this way. And, if they are truly disabled and can't work any other job, the disability pension is the least we can do.

Unfortunately, the article is unclear and doesn't paint a very flattering picture of the FDNY membership. Typical.

[CFD320 35]

I suggest that the author of the article goes to work with a FDNY for a few sets. Maybe they will catch a job on the 7th story of a Class 1 MD, he doesn't even need to carry a tool he can just watch as someone humps his can, maul and hook up the 7 flights. Then he can mask up (not rest up) at the stairway door because the residents left the apartment door open in a panic and the smoke is banked down to the floor in the public hall. They can go ahead and crawl down the hall as fast as possible to make the apartment door so they can get control of it before the windows let loose and the wind causes the fire to blowtorch down the hallway. After they get the door closed then they can take a few seconds to regroup before making entry into the apartment (which is 550 degrees) to locate, and confine the seat of the fire. Just for good measure; conduct a primary and to find a 10-45 or four, and get them down to EMS. Spend another hour or so mopping up because they have too much pride to let another company clean up a mess in our first due. Then go back to the firehouse take a shower sit down for 10 minuets or less before going back in service so we can get the re-locater home. Then do it all over again the next time the call comes... then he can write another article with his opinion on any person going 20 years doing that job without getting hurt in a way that prevents them from doing that every day.

[NWFDMedic 58]

I think Chris192 hit the nail on the head with his post. This is typical New York Post and political sensationalism. I am 100% sure that there are abusers of the system out there; in such a large department you would be a fool to believe otherwise. However, I also believe that a good percentage of the disability retirements are just and the number is too high.

The City should be working to cut these costs, no doubt. Cutting these costs, however, should not focus solely on finding the abusers, they need to spend money to find out how to best help firefighters meet the physical and emotional needs of the job. The City also needs to realize that the men and women of FDNY are doing one of the most important and difficult jobs in the biggest City in the country.

[12 7]

Has either the NY Post or the loudmouth, self-serving, make a name for myself at others expense politician taken into account that statistic comes eight years after 9-11. Much of the FDNY has BEEN retired by the Medical Board because of lung damage and other health issues.

Many of these guys didn’t want to retire, they were not given a choice and I am sure anyone of them would love to have back their jobs and their health rather than a disability pension.

[STAT213 332]

If it makes you feel any better, we have the same knuckleheaded breed of politician up here.

Hang in there boys.

[M' Ave 1,466]

The economy sucks and everyday they're looking for someone new to blame.

One day they say that $80,000 is robbing the system and the next day the publish and article that says making $123,000 in NYC puts you in the middle class at best.....

It's all there to stir the pot. Don't pay too much attention to it.

[Mac8146 61]

Chris192 the process for 3/4 disablity requires appearances by the firefighter in front of a 3man board of doctors who determine duty status, whether full duty, lught duty or lss(limited service status). Then after a period of time the firefighter goes in front of the 12 man board and a final determination is made. Ie: 3/4 or regular 1/2 pay or schoenk decision which I still dont understand. The Unions may have some input on these boards but it is a group of doctors who make the final decision. Also you have the right to appeal if you deem necessary. I wish the NYPost article would have mentioned this, but alas they make it seem like a buddy buddy thing granted in a back door room by firefighters.

[Paul J DeBartolomeo 0]

CFD320, that sounds like a typical night tour!

[snkbitn 2]

At Mayor Bloomberg's request, Gov. Paterson included a proposal in the state budget to require new city cops, firefighters and sanitation workers to serve 25 years instead of 20 before retirement

That's working back wards! Maybe thats why dispatchers weren't given a thought when it came to 20 years.

[Guest Local596Secretary]

This is just the typical mouthin off that we all have to put up with. It's already been stated that a huge portion of these disability retirements stem from the air at ground zero and the Presumptive legislation in place. The expected gestation time for Mesothelioma to show up is 5-10 years. Lung Cancer is 15-30 years. There are also plenty of other health concerns that were brought to light, not the least of which was diminished lung functions. Politicians play the blame game every day. It can't possibly be thier fault, therefore it must have been someone elses.

As far as union bashing goes, thats the game were in. Union members all remember the last few years before the economy went belly up. We received less than the cost of living raises. maybe a few bonus bucks in uniform or longevity. All in all, with health care increases we barely held the line. The issue now is that we did hold the line though. People are pissed they are losing thier jobs or taking pay cuts. Politicians have to blame someone other than themselves so our turn at bat has come around. We'll get through this like we have in the past. Then we'll be back to being the underpaid, underappreciated workhorses they expect us to be.

I remember the last exam that was given three years ago. Back then we had to place a special advertisement in the paper because noone had signed up. Joe the plumber didn't want to take a thirty thousand dollar pay cut. His mortagage was too expensive and he had two kids to support. Now hes on the foreclosure list hoping for a bailout and is pissed at the firefighters who are still able to hang on by thier fingernails.

[gamewell45 258]

This is typical New York Post and political sensationalism.

The New York Post, under the continuing leadership of Rupert Murdoch, is your typical conservative anti-union/anti-worker/anti-labor journalistic rag since he bought it and most likely will stay that way until he sells it or corks off & the paper is sold to someone else. They have the nerve to call it a newspaper? Ha! In my opinion, its nothing more then a fifth-grade produced classroom newsletter. Best used as a cat-box liner.

[Guest]

That's working back wards! Maybe thats why dispatchers weren't given a thought when it came to 20 years.

We (911 Dispatchers) were / are trying for 25 year retirement. The proposal has been circulating since early 2001 so the economic down turn is just another hurdle in the race.

[ny10570 745]

Part of Bloomy's budget requires the expediting of people on Light or Limited duty to retirement. I can't wait to see him use that 3/4's jump to poo on the unions again.