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Out of 9/11 Tragedy Came Change for FDNY
Serious problems with the emergency response on 9/11 contributed to the loss of rescuer lives. A decade later, FDNY counts itself much better prepared. But some questions remain.
This Building Killed 1 Firefighter but May Save Dozens
Two fires 10 years apart at one high-rise in the Rockaways helped convince the FDNY to reconsider its time-honored tactics when dealing with wind-driven fires.
When Fire Wins: Causes of FDNY Deaths
Each of the FDNY's line-of-duty deaths over the past 20 years involved a unique person and unique circumstances. But according to investigations by the FDNY and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, common contributing factors link many of the incidents.
Firefighter Decisions Hold Lives—Including Their Own—In Balance
The FDNY is committed to "aggressive, interior firefighting." When that's the plan, equipment, training and manpower are all less important that human decision-making.
Deadly Fires, 9-11 And Beyond: A Reading List
Firefighters' Heart Risks Get New Attention
Heart attacks are the single largest threat to firefighters' lives, with everything from stress to heat to noise at fire scenes elevating the risk factors.
The New 911: Emergency Calling Changes
Problems with the performance of the 911 system on Sept. 11 led the Bloomberg administration to undertake a four-pronged emergency communications transformation program
Diversity and the Department: The FDNY Recruitment Battle
The upcoming firefighters' test represents the latest attempt in a 40-year effort to try to diversify the mostly white, overwhelmingly male FDNY.
New Phase of Building Code Changes Looms
In the wake of the World Trade Center collapse, the city undertook a comprehensive revision of its building and fire codes. Fire safety advocates didn't get all they wanted. Will they have another chance in the next round?
Fire Inspections: Closed Doors Aren't the Only Barrier
After an April fire killed a family in a building that had been illegal converted, City Hall established a new task force to improve inspections. Some pols pushed for more aggressive action. But there's more to improving building safety than political will.
Behind-The-Scenes Ethics Board Seeks New Power
In a time of growing concern over government ethics, the Conflict of Interest Board wants more investigative authority—but not more publicity. Much of its work is confidential.
Teachers Are Fair Game, But Cops' Records Are Off Limits
The city is pressing to release internal ratings on public school teachers. But cops, prison guards and firefighters don't have to worry about similar exposure.
Fact Checking The State Of The City
Mayor Bloomberg's annual address promised modest new initiatives and claimed major successes over the past year and his whole tenure.
A 'D' For Details: Should The City Release Teachers' Ratings?
As a businesswoman prepares to take over the city's schools, New York's teacher rating system—itself borrowed from the business world—stirs controversy.
Aftershock: Manhattan Hospitals Strained By Closure Of St. Vincent's
Nearly six months after the financially challenged St. Vincent's closed its doors, other emergency rooms are seeing more patients, more ambulance runs and longer wait times.
Progress Derailed: The Cause & Effect Of NYC's Transit Funding Crisis
Everyone who rides buses or subways knows that service is down and fares are heading up. But why is this happening? And does it spell danger for the city's economic future?
MTA Cuts Mean Bigger Crowds, More Problems
Transit cuts don't just mean fewer trains. There'll be less room on trains that are running. And that could compound other problems underground.
For Bloomberg, Race Questions Are New
Concerns about the racial contours of city hiring have resurrected issues that bedeviled past mayors, but over which Mayor Bloomberg has largely avoided confrontation.
Emergency Preparedness Goes Grassroots
Reviews: A City on Fire
"New York, like Vietnam, wasn’t so simple, and the fatal flaw in applying a RAND model to New York City’s fires lay in the fact cities are comprised of human beings, and human beings make mistakes."
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Heart Attacks Are Biggest Threat to Firefighters - Jarrett Murphy
In the department's first line-of-duty death in more than two years, the FDNY lost a 17-year veteran to what appeared to be a heart attack at the scene of a warehouse fire in Brooklyn.
Following the Story: Nationwide, Firefighter Deaths Drop - Jarrett Murphy
The number of on-duty deaths dropped by 7 percent nationwide. New York City closed out another year without a fatality during an operation, despite responding to 23,000 blazes.
Watch a Wind-Driven Fire - Jarrett Murphy
With FDNY a key partner, federal scientists have been experimenting with better ways to fight wind-driven fires. Watch what happens in this test when a window in a burning room fails.
Playground Ban Can Make It Hard To 'Make New York Your Gym' - Jarrett Murphy
The city wants us to get out and exercise more. But the rules say one place we can't work out is in park playgrounds. Is there a way for kids and kinesthetics to share these spaces?
CONVERSATIONS/OPINONS
Firefighter for a Day
After months reporting a story on the FDNY, all it took was three steps into a smoky room for this reporter to realize how much he didn't know.
MULTIMEDIA
FDNY report on fatal fire, November 23, 2008
The fatal fire investigation report on the death of Lieutenant Robert J. Ryan, Jr. of Engine 155 at 39 Van Buren Street, Staten Island.
FDNY report on fatal fire, January 3, 2008
The fatal fire investigation report on the death of Lieutenant John H. Martinson of Engine 249 at 1700 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn.
