Last October, a fire was started outside the Engine 34/Ladder 21 firehouse on West 38th Street. The fire was put out, but upon investigation, it turned out the ones who set it were firefighters from different firehouses! A surveillance cameras actually captured Michael Izzo and Richard Capece purchasing the gasoline at a gas station and later splashing the stationhouse's garage door and igniting it, setting off what was described as a fireball. The pair were......

A "rising star" in the Fire Department was found with three gunshot to the head in his Staten Island home Sunday morning. The ME's office said that Douglas J. Mercereau's death was a homicide. It's believed that his 38-year-old wife, Janet Redmond-Mercereau, is a suspect (the Daily News calls her the "prime suspect"). She called 911 around 8:25AM on Sunday, saying she found her husband's body. The Staten Island Advance says the couple had "started......

An illegal restaurant may have been the cause of a gas leak that caused a Manhattan apartment building to explode, injuring 20 people late yesterday afternoon. Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said a gas leak caused a flash fire that blew out the walls of several apartments in the 20-unit building. Five people suffered serious burns and one firefighter was injured by falling debris while on the scene. Another firefighter was also hurt. Four of the......

Anger and frustration about the Deutsche Bank fire that claimed two firefighters' lives simply continues to mount as the Uniformed Firefighters Association says helicopters could have prevented the tragedy. Union president Stephen Cassidy said, "I think it’s very possible that the outcome would have been entirely different." While responding to the Deutsche Bank fire, firefighters found that the standpipe was broken, which meant water could not be delivered to the higher floors immediately (firefighters ended......

Two weeks ago today, a 7-alarm fire at 130 Liberty Street, at the under-demolition Deutsche Bank building, claimed the lives of two firefighters, Robert Beddia, a 24-year FDNY veteran, and Joseph Graffagnino, an 8-year vet. In the wake of the tragedy, investigations revealed that though smoking by construction workers probably caused the fire, there were a series of failures on the part of the contractor and FDNY, as well as state and city agencies.......

It's been just about two weeks since the 7-alarm fire at the Deutsche Bank building, and the city and state are still trying to figure out how to proceed with the WTC-dust contaminated building's dismantling. The Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation asking for the building to be sealed up "to protect public health and the environment." It was only when the EPA had given its approval for a......

The FDNY did not inspect the Deutsche Bank building every 15 days, "as required by city rules for buildings being demolished" (NY Times). This revelation, coupled with the fact that the FDNY did not have a plan to go into the burning building, prompts the Post to demand that Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta leave his post. The city's official update about the investigation into the Saturday fire, which required 275 firefighters and claimed the lives......

Two veteran firefighters were killed in a blaze at the abandoned Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St. yesterday. The building was in the process of being dismantled after it was damaged beyond repair during the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001. The New York Times reports that the fire started on the 17th floor, allowing the blaze to mushroom out of control as it consumed construction equipment and scaffolding, which fell......

A 23-year-old firefighter died from injuries sustained while responding to a fire at 146 Leonard Street in East Williamsburg. Daniel Pujdak, a 2-year veteran with Ladder 146, fell four floors from a bucket ladder and suffered serious head injuries; he was pronounced dead at Bellevue shortly after. Over 60 firefighters were needed to control the fire, which allegedly started because of a cigarette left on a window sill. Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said that......

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Fire Department, saying that FDNY exams in 1999 and 2002 discriminated against black and Hispanic candidates. Black and HIspanic candidates fail the exam at much higher rates, and currently, the blacks and Hispanics make up only 7.5% of the FDNY's 11,000 firefighters. The NY Times notes that the fire departments of LA and Philadelphia are more than 40% black or Hispanic. The lawsuit claims the......

Two years ago, in their infinite wisdom, Congress moved the start of Daylight Saving Time up three weeks to the second Sunday in March. That's tonight! Don't forget to adjust your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed. The reason for the date switch was to save energy. The jury is out on whether or not the date switch will save energy, but some people are worried that the change will cause problems......

Today, Mayor Bloomberg met with the Bronx fire victims' families and later held a press conference about the tragedy, which is the deadliest fire (aside from September 11) since 1990 . The Mayor has been under fire for leaving the city yesterday - after a Thursday press conference about the fire - for a scheduled appearance in Miami, where he made jokes about "Mayors Gone Wild" in South Beach. In Miami, Mayor Bloomberg explained he......

The Fire Department has been working with the US Naval Research Laboratory to develop transmitting chips for firefighter's gear that will allow electronic tracking of firefighters on the scene of a blaze. The chip would have to withstand the heat, smoke and water found while fighting a fire. It would be activated when a firefighter boards a truck to respond to a call. Currently, firefighters sign in to a paper roster. Under that system, according......

The city is mourning the deaths of two firefighters who helped fight a Bronx building fire on Sunday. Following Sunday's death of probie firefighter Michael Reilly, 20-year FDNY veteran Lieutenant Howard Carpluk Jr. died yesterday after being hospitalized for his injuries. Investigators are now examining the three-alarm fire, which the NY Times describes as a routine call that turned into disaster. At first, it was thought that a heavy rooftop air-conditioning unit fell through the......

A five-alarm fire at the abandoned Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse/Market is being fought this morning in dramatic fashion: News choppers show that the FDNY's marine units are at work - the warehouse occupie a 200' by 600' lot along the East River. (WNBC's Vivian Lee, on location, said the fire was making it feel like a 100 degree day even 50 yards away.) Last year, Tien visited the terminal market last year and found a......

Last week, the police officer behind the website, NYPD Rant, was fired. And now, a similar site focused on complaints from firefighters about the FDNY, FDNY Rant is getting attention. The Post reports about FDNY Rant, and says that the FDNY doesn't really think it's relevant, though some brass are secretly interested in shutting it donw. For instance, they don't like how Mayor Bloomberg's nickname is "Doomberg," Police Commissioner Kelly is called "Popeye," and Fire......

Yesterday's building collapse at Broadway and 100th Street is believed to have been caused by the demolition company, which put a backhoe on the structure it was tearing down, causing stress and the building to buckle. The collapse occured at 9:23AM, and many residents and shop owners in the neighborhood rushed to help firefighters and police officers with rescue efforts. Five people (waiting for a bus, walking down the street) and five firefighters were......

Mayor Bloomberg announced that any city officials who don't agree with his policies can consider working elsewhere. Many believe he said as much to counter Fire Chief Peter Hayden's public testimony that the Mayor Bloomberg-endorsed plan for the NYPD to lead emergency response situations is deeply flawed. The Mayor's words, from the NY Times:"My job is not to be angry; my job is to make sure that everybody works together. There are always going to......

Yesterday, Fire Department Chief Peter Hayden testified in front of the City Council and said that the current plan to have the NYPD lead any emergency situation, including the handling of hazardous materials, is "bad policy" and "makes no sense." Chief Hayden's actions have been described as "startling frank" by the NY Times and a "rare move" by the NY Post, as it's unusual for such a high-ranking official to disagree openly with City......

There were two big stories at yesterday's St. Patrick's Day parade. One, there was the firefighters' protest that they could not wear green berets during the parade. Many stood in silent protest at the Metropolitan Museum, though they did boo Mayor Bloomberg and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta for changing the rules for parade dress this year. Governor Pataki did shake hands with some of the protesting firefighters, but Gothamist doubts that will be enough to......

It's safe to say that after a year of controversy, the FDNY really didn't need news that a woman was having sex with at least two firefighters at a Bronx station house, stemming from rape charges. It's all very confusing, but here are some of the facts: A firefighter met a woman, a Staten Island divorcee, in an Internet chat room, and after chatting for a few months, they met at Ladder 33/Engine 75 (known......

The "9/11 Comission," really the National Commission on Terror Attacks Upon the United States, is meeting today at the New School, to speak with various NYC government officials and servants, from past and present, to understand how the city reacted on September 11, 2001. At the center will be how first responders, from NYPD, FDNY, and emergency services, reacted, as the September 11's events will be summarized. The Times reports that the Pentagon's response plan......