For the 13th month in a row, Fire Department response times are up.
According to the FDNY, it took firefighters eight seconds longer to respond to a fire in October than it did in September.
The latest figures released Wednesday show that in October it took firefighters 4:43 to respond to a structural fire, compared to a response time of 4:24 in October of 2004, a 19-second difference.
The FDNY says it does not usually measure response time against the prior month because of seasonal fluctuations in fire activity, and says it expects the numbers to come down.
Fire officials also say the department is responding to life-threatening medical emergencies faster than in previous months.
Firefighter unions say the increase in response times is the result of elimination of engine companies and firefighters, charges the FDNY denies.
The Fire Department has blamed the unions for the increases, saying its leaders have been urging members to slow down in retaliation for the department's decision to punish a firefighter after a truck was involved in a traffic accident last year.
