Friday, March 13, 2026, 9:30 a.m. (New York City time), Council Chambers - City Hall
Committee: Committee on Fire and Emergency Management
The Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, chaired by Council Member Joann Ariola, held a preliminary budget hearing covering the FDNY's fiscal 2027 budget of roughly $2.8 billion and the budget of New York City Emergency Management. Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore, appearing at her first budget hearing, discussed declining fire fatalities, EMT pay parity, recruitment, lithium-ion battery safety, and defended the chief savings officer process, while council members sharply questioned officials about firehouse disrepair (presented through photos of specific firehouses), overtime, EMS response times, apparatus maintenance, and B-HEARD funding. NYCEM Commissioner Cristina Farrell testified about expanded emergency activations, World Cup 2026 preparations, CERT growth, cooling centers, and an anticipated roughly $8 million reduction from a 40% cut to New York State's federal homeland security grant. Public testimony came from FDNY union leaders, EMTs, and advocates urging EMT/paramedic pay parity, a fifth firefighter on Bronx engine companies, and funding for battery storage safety and non-police mental health response. No votes were taken; the hearing was a budget discussion.
0:43 To begin shortly. Good morning
0:43 . Good morning. Welcome to the
0:44 New York City Council hearing
0:45 on the committee on fire and
0:46 emergency management at this
0:48 time, please sound to
0:49 electronics and do not
0:50 approach the dais. I repeat,
0:51 please do not approach De if
0:54 u ayore testing by today. Make
0:55 sure you have filled out a
0:56 slip at the back of the room
0:57 and the questions or concerns,
0:58 please reach a sergeant at
0:59 arms. Thank you for you
1:00 rcooperation chair. You be
1:24 again, they over? Ah, just
1:36 budgets to understand how they
1:38 address the needs of old New
1:42 yorkers. I would like to begin
1:43 by welcoming fire commissioner
1:45 lillian bonsignore o
1:47 rcommissioner bon senora is the
1:49 first woman to lead the fire
1:51 department of New York of New
1:53 York City, and we look forward
1:55 to working with her as she
1:56 takes on this important role.
1:58 Yeah, you guys are wrong.
2:00 She's the second woman put the
2:03 first, I guess that worked as
2:09 an member
2:09 . I would also like to thank
2:10 the members of the fire
2:11 department for their
2:11 sacrifices over the past year
2:12 and the front responses of
2:15 emts, paramedics and
2:17 firefighters on the just on
2:18 their display every day and
2:21 because of their direct
2:22 lifesaving actions our City is
2:23 a safer place the fire
2:26 department's members and
2:28 firefighters are known as New
2:31 york's bravest and best and I
2:33 believe those nknamices are
2:34 aptly given.
2:35 I would also like to thank
2:36 the members of the emergency
2:41 management team. They have
2:41 been working incredibly long
2:42 hours to assist in the city's
2:44 response, performing a job
2:46 that often does not get the
2:47 recognition it deserves the
2:51 fire department's fiscal 20 27
2:53 preliminary budget totals $2.8
2:57 billion with funding for
3:03 70617602 positions the
3:04 department's fiscal 20 27
3:05 budget has undergone moderate
3:07 changes in the preliminary
3:11 financial plan, the
3:11 department's capital
3:12 commitment plan includes
3:13 funding for hundreds of
3:15 distinct projects across the
3:17 five year plan during our
3:19 hearing today, the committee
3:20 would like to discuss the
3:21 department's New needs in
3:24 current in the current
3:25 financial plan. This includes
3:28 additional funding for
3:30 personnel service costs
3:32 ,including overtimexpen eses
3:34 and various ot tps adjustments
3:36 , the committee would like to
3:38 revisit these items, such as
3:41 paper parity fire
3:42 . An ambulance response times
3:45 and the department's
3:46 increasing reliance on over
3:47 time, I would also like to
3:49 discuss the diminishing
3:49 conditions of our firehouses,
3:52 recruitment and retention and
3:53 the f n y s fleet maintenance
3:56 over the past year, this
3:57 committee has held a number of
3:59 oversight hearings on a wide
4:00 range of topics, including a
4:02 hearing on local lost six of
4:06 20 25 fire and safety and
4:07 permitting approval for
4:09 community energy storage
4:10 facilities and continued
4:11 oversight of the departments
4:14 preparedness for emergency
4:17 emerging hazards while these
4:18 hearings are not necessarily
4:19 budget hearings as we all know
4:21 you often need to spend money
4:26 to get results. I would like
4:27 to thank our committee staffer
4:27 for their hard work, but first
4:29 I'd like to recognize that we
4:30 are joined by council members
4:33 shulman and Maloney. Anyone on
4:35 zoom many members
4:36 . Ah and Council Member Wong.
4:40 I would like to thank our
4:41 committee staff for their hard
4:42 work financial analyst 10 veer
4:45 singh, assistant director
4:47 jack's story committee counsel
4:49 josh kingsley, political
4:50 analyst will hung ash and by
4:53 incredible chief of staff
4:54 phyllis in cirillo. I'd like
4:58 to welcome and thank
4:59 commissioner bonner and our.
5:01 Firefighters and emts,
5:03 paramedics and the department
5:04 civian slitaff for the work
5:05 that they do. I'm looking
5:07 forward to hearing from the
5:08 commissioner, the community
5:09 council will now swear you in
5:14 books right here. Okay, if you
5:21 would just raise your right
5:23 hand commissioner billion
5:27 bonsignore, municipal ok, john
5:31 esposito. Well, mariano
5:38 lisette, christoph
5:40 . Nonofficial nunan daniel
5:44 flynn, Kevin woods, Thomas
5:47 ferraro. Thank you, everyone.
5:48 How do you just affirm to tel
5:49 lthe truth, the whole truth and
5:50 nothing but the truth and
5:51 answer honestly, the council.
5:53 Other questions, you all
5:54 recognize you do, you go ahead
5:55 with your testimony. Thank you
6:01 , good. Good morning and thank
6:03 you. Please excuse my cracking
6:05 voice. I was full whisper t
6:06 odays ago
6:07 . I know, I heard you. This is
6:09 much
6:10 . Better. Good morning chair,
6:11 areola and members of the fire
6:13 and emergency management
6:16 committee. My name is lillian
6:16 bonsignore and I'm pleased to
6:17 appear before you today t
6:19 odiscuss a preliminary budget
6:20 for the fire department.
6:23 I am joined by first deputy
6:24 commissioner daniel flynn,
6:26 chief chief of department john
6:27 esposito, chief of palm ayanna
6:30 deputy commissioner
6:32 ,management, management and
6:32 budget lisette christoph,
6:35 chief of fire operations Kevin
6:36 woods, chief of fire
6:38 prevention, Thomas correo, an
6:40 associate commissioner of
6:41 development in a visa. Noonan,
6:45 this is my first budget
6:45 hearing as fire commissioner
6:46 ,so I'd like to begin by
6:48 31 years as a member oit about
6:58 fincluding serving as chief of
7:00 during the covid-19 pandemic
7:01 it is an extraordinary honor
7:03 for me to serve as
7:04 commissioner of this
7:06 department
7:06 . I say that not just because
7:07 it's the greatest fire
7:08 department in the world and it
7:11 is, but because serving this
7:12 department as commissione
7:13 rgives me a chance to pay it
7:15 back for the tremendous
7:17 opportunities that i'v
7:17 eexperienced over more than
7:20 three decades, joining.
7:21 Saved my life as a teenager.
7:24 I was direction of
7:28 directionless.
7:28 I didn't know what to do for
7:29 a career and I wasn't certain
7:30 how I would overcome the
7:31 challenges of my life. I found
7:35 ms. And it quickly became part
7:37 of my identity public service
7:38 is a calling for me. I am
7:41 proud to be the commissioner
7:42 of this agency because I know
7:44 that public services are
7:45 calling for a of members of
7:48 the wine it takes a massive
7:49 team effort to keep this City
7:51 fe asand I thank the members
7:52 of this committee for your
7:55 support, your interest in your
7:56 attention to our issues. I
7:59 know that you see our members
8:00 the same way I see them.
8:01 As heroes.
8:04 They are heroes in every
8:06 station, every firehouse there
8:07 . Are heroes sitting behind a
8:07 dispatch, computers and out
8:11 conducting inspections and
8:14 investigations
8:14 . They are undertaking
8:15 complicated plan reviews in
8:18 analyzing finances,
8:18 and working to repair our
8:20 facilities and keep our fleet
8:21 on the road.
8:24 They are on trucks and an
8:25 ambulances and
8:25 . On boats and sitting at
8:27 desks,
8:28 and when the City
8:29 experiences brutal heat waves
8:30 or a long stretch of code blue
8:34 conditions. Many personnel or
8:35 outside in the conditions,
8:36 making sure the job gets done.
8:40 This the will mark the 25
8:43 anniversary of the darkest
8:44 state in our history
8:47 . September 11 was a day of
8:48 immense loss for the
8:50 department 343 members made
8:53 the ultimate sacrifice while
8:53 working to rescue their fellow
8:57 New yorkers, as this committee
8:59 knows well that sacrifice has
9:00 continued in a decade since we
9:04 have now lost 431 individuals
9:08 to 9 1 9 11 illnesses and
9:09 countless more struggle with
9:10 diseases as a result of a time
9:11 spent at that site on the 2
9:16 5anniversary, we will solemnly
9:17 honor the sacrifice of those
9:19 members and a sacrifice of
9:20 their families as we do every
9:24 single day I responded to the
9:25 world trade center on
9:27 September 11 I
9:27 . Know how difficult it can be
9:31 to look back each anniversary
9:32 tugs at old wounds that never
9:36 quite healed, but it als
9:36 oserves as a reminder of the
9:38 duty and.
9:38 The mission that we carried
9:40 25 years ago and we still
9:41 carry out each day
9:44 . We honor the memory of those
9:45 who we've lost by laying the
9:47 foundation to those who come.
9:50 In 2020 26. We are.
9:53 Stronger, better prepared
9:53 and more resilient than w
9:54 ewere 25 years ago, my focus as
9:58 fire commissioner is
9:59 continuing to drive the agency
10:01 forward strengthened in our
10:02 resources and improving our
10:04 ability to serve the people of
10:05 New York. I am committed to
10:09 making sure that we have the
10:09 best equipment and the best
10:13 infrastructure
10:13 . To training, education and
10:14 preparing our members to
10:16 . Modernizing our approach to
10:17 operations on the fire ground
10:19 and medical responses and in
10:21 all the myriad ways that
10:23 members of the interrupt
10:25 interact with our fellow
10:28 citizens
10:29 . One of the ways. I'd like t
10:30 oset the agency on a successful
10:32 course for the future is by
10:34 addressing the enormous
10:35 challenge of pay
10:38 . This year marks the
10:39 thirtieth anniversary of the
10:40 merger of with the fire
10:43 department.
10:43 Those three decades have
10:45 been marked by bravery
10:46 ,heroism and countless lives
10:49 saved and the City has always
10:50 counted on during times of
10:54 great meat shepherd at the
10:56 City through a global pandemic
10:58 and they face a skyrocketing
11:00 call volume and a need for
11:01 their skills like never befor
11:06 e
11:06 . It is time to pay them a
11:07 living wage, a salary that
11:09 allows them to do their
11:11 incredible lifesaving saving
11:11 work and provide for their
11:15 families, as this committee
11:15 knows the authority to
11:17 collectively bargain wages for
11:19 City employees, including and
11:21 paramedics lie with the office
11:22 of labor relations, not the
11:25 fire department as the fire
11:28 commissioner. I believe in
11:29 parody and I will tirelessly
11:30 advocate for their pay
11:32 increases to the very best of
11:37 my ability
11:37 . 20 25 Was a busy year for
11:39 the department, we responded
11:39 to more than 25000 structura
11:42 lfires and more than 14000 non
11:45 structural fires, we responded
11:46 to more than emergency medical
11:51 incidents. Of those more than
11:52 600000. We're life threatening
11:56 emergencies. We also performed
11:57 nearly 1 million patient
11:58 transports to hospitals. I am
12:01 happy to report that fire
12:03 fatalities were down 20 22 and
12:06 20 23 were years with the
12:08 greatest number of fire deaths
12:10 in decades with 19 7 and 104
12:15 deaths respectfully,
12:16 respectively in 20 24 that
12:18 number decreased the 77 and
12:19 last year it decreased again
12:24 to 62.
12:24 One component of the drop in
12:25 fire deaths is that that's
12:26 resulting from fires that were
12:28 caused by lithium ion
12:29 batteries decrease from a high
12:32 of 1820 23 to only one death
12:37 last year.
12:37 We attribute that positive
12:38 developments. Who changes in
12:39 the laws regarding lithium ion
12:42 batteries, including bills
12:43 passed by this committee and
12:45 to our extensive outreach and
12:47 . Campaign education campaigns
12:50 in 20 24, the department's
12:52 campaign to raise awareness of
12:53 the dangers of lithium ion
12:55 batteries produced 83 million
12:59 impressions across social
12:59 media and targeted ads in 2
13:03 025. The campaign reached
13:04 another 36 million impressions
13:07 the public has heard our
13:08 messaging about safe use of
13:10 these devices and where
13:12 possible is storing and
13:12 charging them outside
13:16 . 20 25 Was also a busy year
13:18 for the recruitment retention
13:21 team firefighter a 40 44, it
13:24 was established in it produced
13:27 a diverse lists of more than
13:29 20000 candidates who passed,
13:31 including 22% black 28%
13:35 hispanic, 40% white and 6%.
13:39 7% Of the candidates who
13:40 passed the example were women
13:44 . We are eager to begin the
13:45 processing and we anticipate
13:46 the first group from thi
13:46 sclass will enter the fire
13:48 academy in the fall.
13:51 Across the country it is an
13:53 incredibly difficult
13:54 and.ronment right
13:56 New York City is no
13:59 exception. Our two most recent
14:01 recruitment campaigns produced
14:01 a high number of not as many
14:04 viable candidates as we have
14:08 hoped we continue to work on
14:08 enhancing our communication
14:10 and programming efforts to
14:11 assist applicants with the
14:13 process and reduce attrition.
14:15 With any applicant pool and
14:16 we have adjusted our
14:19 recruitment campaign scheduled
14:20 to begin in of this year. In
14:23 this way, we hope to maintain
14:24 active talent pool that will
14:26 translate to more hired by the
14:30 dertmepant
14:31 . I'm on record about how muc
14:32 hi loved working as a member of
14:34 when you have.
14:35 The opportunity, please
14:37 encourage your constituents to
14:38 consider a career with our
14:42 team.
14:42 It was also wanted a busiest
14:44 years ever for educational
14:46 outreach to the community
14:49 members made 3245 safet
14:53 ypresentations to audiences
14:54 totaling more than half a
14:58 million New yorkers that
14:58 included more than 1400 events
15:00 in schools
15:00 . To more than 218000 students
15:05 the mobile team trained more
15:06 than 116000 people on how to
15:09 conduct compression only,
15:12 including more than 38000 high
15:16 school students.
15:17 And in a light in in the
15:18 late 20 25 we launched New
15:21 control the bleed campaign
15:24 teaching people life saving
15:24 skills to ensure that everyday
15:28 citizens
15:28 , can respond with confidenc
15:29 ewhen faced with critical
15:31 situations
15:31 . Involving life threatening
15:34 bleeding first responders get
15:35 to the scene as quickly as
15:37 possible, but through these
15:39 trainings we're equipping
15:40 communities
15:41 . With tools to act even
15:42 before the help arrives
15:45 . We also continued our
15:46 partnership with the america
15:47 nred cross to install smoke
15:49 alarms,
15:49 and work with members of a
15:51 community to develop plans to
15:53 save save during a fire in 2
15:56 020.
15:56 Five this partnership
15:57 installed more than 12000
15:59 smoke alarms
16:00 . Bringing the total number of
16:02 alarms installed, says the
16:02 beginning of this program in
16:06 2015 to more than 300000 smoke