FDNY Firefighters Assoc. Pres.: Vaccine Mandate Is ‘a Political Game … and the Stakes of the Game Are the Lives of New Yorkers’

ANSBRO It s unnecessary ░░░░░░░░ would the mayor or ░░░░░░░░ commissioner send firefighters home ░░░░░░░░ days into this pandemic ░░░░░░░░ there wasn t a ░░░░░░░░ last year when we ░░░░░░░░ them to test everybody ░░░░░░░░ they refused You know ░░░░░░░░ is a political game ░░░░░░░░ re playing right now ░░░░░░░░ you know the stakes ░░░░░░░░ the game are the ░░░░░░░░ of New Yorkers Right ░░░░░░░░ as of last year ░░░░░░░░ statistics there is on ░░░░░░░░ 65 fires a day ░░░░░░░░ fires There is 1 ░░░░░░░░ life threatening medical emergencies ░░░░░░░░ day in New York ░░░░░░░░ There s over 80 ░░░░░░░░ attacks every day You ░░░░░░░░ the survivability of heart ░░░░░░░░ victims in New York ░░░░░░░░ is 32 percent If ░░░░░░░░ increase response if you ░░░░░░░░ response times by a ░░░░░░░░ minutes to a heart ░░░░░░░░ victim that is without ░░░░░░░░ the difference between life ░░░░░░░░ death If you re ░░░░░░░░ to take a third ░░░░░░░░ the ambulances off line ░░░░░░░░ you ll get a ░░░░░░░░ of the engine companies ░░░░░░░░ line you will without ░░░░░░░░ increase response times and ░░░░░░░░ the rate of death ░░░░░░░░ Andew I want to ░░░░░░░░ in here because I ░░░░░░░░ looking at your your ░░░░░░░░ mission statement on your ░░░░░░░░ which says explicitly that ░░░░░░░░ represent the health and ░░░░░░░░ and interest of New ░░░░░░░░ City firefighters and the ░░░░░░░░ they are sworn to ░░░░░░░░ So this really goes ░░░░░░░░ what has the union ░░░░░░░░ to educate its members ░░░░░░░░ the benefits of the ░░░░░░░░ Covid has killed members ░░░░░░░░ the fire department and ░░░░░░░░ re approaching 35 000 ░░░░░░░░ Yorkers who have died ░░░░░░░░ of Covid ANSBRO I ░░░░░░░░ glad you asked that ░░░░░░░░ There isn t a ░░░░░░░░ on the face of ░░░░░░░░ Earth that has done ░░░░░░░░ to educate their members ░░░░░░░░ I have I actually ░░░░░░░░ a virologist REPORTER But ░░░░░░░░ then on your website ░░░░░░░░ there nothing about it ░░░░░░░░ I hired a virologist ░░░░░░░░ year we did a ░░░░░░░░ hour Q A with ░░░░░░░░ of my members questions ░░░░░░░░ union is not anti ░░░░░░░░ We have members that ░░░░░░░░ don t want it ░░░░░░░░ now The union has ░░░░░░░░ behind the vaccine one ░░░░░░░░ percent I ve had ░░░░░░░░ give me a hard ░░░░░░░░ because we ve been ░░░░░░░░ pro vaccine But the ░░░░░░░░ line it comes down ░░░░░░░░ people want their choice ░░░░░░░░ we re not alone ░░░░░░░░ NYPD EMS sanitation everyone ░░░░░░░░ every walk of life ░░░░░░░░ around the same percentage ░░░░░░░░ When I look at ░░░░░░░░ website I see things ░░░░░░░░ what political figures to ░░░░░░░░ I see things about ░░░░░░░░ There is a lot ░░░░░░░░ information that you disseminate ░░░░░░░░ your members on your ░░░░░░░░ but you do not ░░░░░░░░ them and you do ░░░░░░░░ educate them about the ░░░░░░░░ the way that the ░░░░░░░░ educates the public about ░░░░░░░░ vaccine on its website ░░░░░░░░ example ANSBRO All of ░░░░░░░░ union literature that goes ░░░░░░░░ every union meeting half ░░░░░░░░ it is about vaccine ░░░░░░░░ getting the vaccine and ░░░░░░░░ effects of Covid To ░░░░░░░░ that because our union ░░░░░░░░ doesn t have the ░░░░░░░░ that we re not ░░░░░░░░ our members is ridiculous ░░░░░░░░ union has done more ░░░░░░░░ educate our members about ░░░░░░░░ than we have And ░░░░░░░░ fact REPORTER Andrew ANSBRO ░░░░░░░░ fact that 30 percent ░░░░░░░░ our members don t ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t make ░░░░░░░░ numbers any different than ░░░░░░░░ other subset in this ░░░░░░░░ at all And again ░░░░░░░░ union is pro vaccine ░░░░░░░░ we are pro choice ░░░░░░░░ I have to fight ░░░░░░░░ my members that do ░░░░░░░░ want to be put ░░░░░░░░ the position that they ░░░░░░░░ going to lose their ░░░░░░░░ if they don t ░░░░░░░░ to a vaccine mandate ░░░░░░░░ they don t feel ░░░░░░░░ necessary The White House ░░░░░░░░ right now shows that ░░░░░░░░ believe there should be ░░░░░░░░ testing or vaccination option ░░░░░░░░ any business with over ░░░░░░░░ hundred employees There is ░░░░░░░░ reason why this testing ░░░░░░░░ does not continue for ░░░░░░░░ York City public workers ░░░░░░░░ s on the White ░░░░░░░░ website What s good ░░░░░░░░ one is good for ░░░░░░░░ other I believe the ░░░░░░░░ ran on a tale ░░░░░░░░ two cities Why are ░░░░░░░░ two different classifications for ░░░░░░░░ s best for vaccinations ░░░░░░░░ testing in this country ░░░░░░░░ the White House gov ░░░░░░░░