“Except for the U.S. military, being a New York City firefighter is the most dangerous profession in the world. No other job has lost so many of its members to line-of-duty death and disability, all in the service of keeping New York safe.”

The president of the firefighters union recently said this, in response to severe pension cuts for New York City firefighters and police officers hired after 2009. Those hired before that year receive ¾ of their annual pay in disability benefits, plus Social Security. Officers hired after 2009 stand to receive less than one third of that if injured or killed on the job -- that’s a pitiful $27 dollars a day.   

This is unacceptable. When our firefighters and police officers risk their lives for the safety of New Yorkers, we owe them assurance that their families will be provided for should anything happen. Yes, NYC saw some budget difficulties during the Great Recession, but cutting first responders’ benefits should not be the first line of defense against city debt.

There is a bill currently sitting before the state legislature that would restore disability pensions to pre-2009 amounts. But it appears that New York City officials   avoiding any real action  to get it passed. Please join me in urging City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Mayor Bill De Blasio to do what it takes to get this legislation passed, for the good of all first responders.

I come from a family of first responders. My family members served in 9/11, with both the New York Fire and Police Departments. I, myself, served with the NYPD for three years, before transferring to the FDNY, where I have been for nearly 10 years now. I am proud to put my life on the line for my fellow New Yorkers, and I will always be there for them when they need me.

The idea that “rookie” cops and firefighters, hired after 2009, will receive so much less money than their more experienced counterparts if something happens to them is absurd. I can say from experience, the FDNY is one big family. We all do the same job, and we should be equally compensated. We all risk our lives every day on the job, and no one life is worth more than another.

Please join me in imploring Melissa Mark-Viverito and Mayor De Blasio to expedite all legislative efforts to restore FDNY and NYPD tier3 pensions to their pre-2009 amounts.