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.
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.
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.
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.
A City Limits investigation looked at FDNY fatalities over 20 years, finding common factors and tracking the city’s efforts to address them.
Tina Parker tried to convince her neighbors to leave. “I’ve been in two hurricanes in Alabama, and I’m not taking a chance,” she said.
Even far outside of the Zone A areas, there were signs of the impending danger, though they were subtle. Closer to the water’s edge, the menace felt very real.
Advocates praise the motives behind New York’s plan to reduce the amount of sewage released untreated into its waterways. But they’re worried about the details.
Governments are pouring money into job skills programs as a way of combating poverty. But what jobs are participants being prepared for?
As many as one in five child welfare cases involves a parent with a mental health diagnosis, creating challenges for parents, children and caseworkers. Advocates say efforts to address those challenges haven’t gone far enough.
City Limits uses investigative journalism through the prism of New York City to identify urban problems, examine their causes, explore solutions, and equip communities to take action.
Founded in 1976 in the midst of New York’s fiscal crisis, City Limits exists to inform democracy and equip citizens to create a more just city. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundation support, ad sponsorship and donations from readers.
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Support local, investigative journalism that has informed and empowered New Yorkers for 45 years.
