FDNY: Members Trained In 'Special Needs' Aid; Hundreds of Cases
By ARI PAUL
Fire Department officials Sept. 25 defended employees' performance in emergency responses involving people with special needs during a hearing before three City Council committees.

The Chief-Leader/Adrienne Haywood-James NO 'COOKIE-CUTTER RESPONSE': Fire Department Chief of Fire Prevention Tom Jensen, center, updated the City Council Sept. 25 on how FDNY members respond to cases involving people with special needs. With him are Bureau of Operations Assistant Chief Bob Sweeney, right, and Emergency Medical Service Division Chief Fred Villani.

"While the disabled or special needs population does pose operational challenges, our members respond capably and professionally to hundreds of emergencies involving persons with special needs," said Chief of Fire Prevention Thomas Jensen during a hearing that included members from the Committees on Fire and Criminal Justice, on Aging and on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services.

He said that department members undergo training for these types of emergencies.

'No Cookie-Cutter Responses'

"Due to the diversity of situations we encounter, we cannot offer a cookie-cutter response to how we evacuate people with special needs," Chief Jensen said. "Every situation is different."

He noted that during fire company building inspections, firefighters collected information about people with special needs that is then recorded in the Critical Information Dispatch System.

"This increases safety by alerting firefighters to special circumstances that may present additional hazards or challenges," Chief Jensen said.

The Uniformed Firefighters Association declined to comment about the FDNY special needs protocol.

The FDNY has had previous discussions with the Fire and Criminal Justice Committee involving Emergency Medical Service response to people who are morbidly obese. Chief Jensen testified that the department had made improvements in this regard.

"Of our fleet of nearly 400 ambulances, 215 are now equipped with stretchers that can transport up to 700 pounds in their raised position, and 1,100 pounds in their lowered position," he said. "All other ambulances in the fleet are equipped with stretchers that can transport up to 400 pounds. Over the next year or so, as new ambulances are added to our fleet, all of our ambulances will be equipped with these enhanced-capacity stretchers."