FDNY slams congestion pricing, warns of delayed responses and millions in overtime

As New York City ushered in its long-awaited congestion pricing plan, the FDNY sounded the alarm over what it calls a looming public safety crisis — one they warn could mean slower response times, longer shifts and millions of dollars in extra costs.

The tolling program, the first of its kind in the United States, was introduced just after midnight on Sunday, and imposes a toll on drivers entering Manhattan’s busiest areas, including parts of the Financial District, Midtown, and Lower Manhattan. The additional $9 fee has long sparked controversy, but the city’s firefighters are now raising urgent concerns about its impact on emergency services.

According to Jim Brosi, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, a number of New York’s bravest use their personal vehicles to drive to firehouses in need of additional personnel — but the newly imposed toll is making that financially unfeasible for many, forcing the department to rely on a fleet of just 15 vans to transport firefighters. These vehicles, typically reserved for other tasks — like picking up equipment or visiting injured members — will now be stretched thin in order to shuttle firefighters between stations, he argued.

“We move 200 firefighters a day,” Brosi said at a Sunday news conference. “The problem is we may only be dropping one firefighter off at each fire. This will slow down the time it takes to move between firehouses, meaning the firefighters waiting for relief will be on duty longer than they’re supposed to be.”

The bottleneck could result in an additional $1.8 million in estimated overtime pay, according to Brosi. The union head also stressed the possibility of delays in getting manpower to stations where they’re most needed.

The FDNY’s concerns are compounded by the need for firefighters to return to their original firehouses at the end of the day to secure equipment, change, and decontaminate — adding more strain to an already strained system.

The FDNY’s request for an exemption for those working inside the toll zone was denied. Brosi stressted they were not asking for a department-wide exemption, just a carve-out for the firefighters who are most affected.

“We didn’t ask for an entire fire department exemption,” said Brosi. “We didn’t ask for an entire civil service exemption. We asked very specifically for the people who are working in here, so they don’t retire, so that they don’t transfer out, so we don’t lose institutional knowledge.”

Brosi worries the increased costs and logistical headaches could lead to personnel issues down the line, as seasoned members of the department could transfer out or retire early as their toll bills explode.

“[Manhattan is] a very difficult place to work,” he said. “The buildings are unique. Every last one of them. The institutional knowledge required to understand the complexity of the buildings and how to properly fight fires [in the zone] is difficult.”

Despite the FDNY’s concerns, MTA Chair Janno Lieber defended the plan at a separate Sunday news conference, emphasizing the program’s intention to reduce gridlock, improve emergency response times and encourage the use of public transportation.

“Now, the good news for the core function of fire and EMS is one of the principal goals, is to make response times faster, and that’s especially important for EMS,” Lieber said. “The EMS operation, the ambulance drivers are taking people to hospital whose time to get to the hospital is going up, up, up. So that is a huge benefit, since you’re talking about fire and EMS, likewise, fire trucks.”

The new toll is expected to climb over time and will increase to $12 by 2028, and then $15 by 2031 — all aimed at funding upgrades and improvements to the city’s mass transit system.

The MTA’s promise of a smoother subway system and less congestion has done little to reassure Brosi and his colleagues, who argue the city’s long-term vision will have immediate and serious consequences for emergency services.

“We’ve had frequent discussions with the MTA, and we were denied,” the exasperated union head said. “We had made requests through the mayor’s office, and we were denied. And we tried to explain to them the very unique situation.”

Originally Published: January 5, 2025 at 7:09 PM EST