New York Governor Vetoes FDNY Training Bill
The proposal sat on the Paterson's desk last week and would have forced the city to give all of the department's officers 80 addition hours of training on new building codes that were instituted in the wake of the tragic 2007 blaze at the former Deutsche Bank building that killed two firefighters, according to The Daily News.
Paterson's decision to veto the bill was made public in a press release from his office on Oct. 2.
Bloomberg said the bill would have costed taxpayers nearly $30 million.
"The FDNY is the entity most qualified to assess and address fire officer training, and it must be able to continue to serve New Yorkers free of unnecessary, unfunded and unfeasible mandates," he wrote in a July letter to Paterson, according to the report.
He argued that the officers don't need the code training since thorough building inspections are done by trained civilians.
The union that represents the fire officers contends that the bill would have helped save their members from mistakes that can lead to demotions or discipline.
"Our members were directly held responsible for not (enforcing) this rule, which was buried in the books," Uniformed Fire Officers Association treasurer Edward Bowles said about the aftermath of the Deutsche Bank blaze.
"If they want to hold us accountable; then train us ... If they don't want to train us, they cannot hold us accountable."