The FDNY has budgeted $1.3 million to put every ambulance and fire truck driver through a one-day “refresher” driving course, outgoing Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano told the City Council Monday.
Cassano said the classes are part of Mayor de Blasio’s “Vision Zero” plan to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities.
On other matters, Cassano said that by 2016, all fire houses would have separate bathrooms for female firefighters.
The FDNY hasn’t hired a new firefighter class in five years as the result of a long- running discrimination lawsuit that was recently settled. This week it will finally graduate 286 probies.
“Great class. Very diverse,” Cassano said, before adding that the department is still 691 firefighters short.
Cassano said ambulances don’t go to every fire reported partly because many are false reports — 24,000 last year.