by JEREMY TANNER wpix.com
NEW YORK (WPIX) - New York firefighters, city council members and residents will rally Wednesday morning against Mayor Bloomberg's proposed closure of up to 62 NYC firehouses.
The closures are part of Bloomberg's proposed budget, cutbacks that the City says can be made without affecting city residents.
The Administration cites 2009 statistics -- the lowest amount of fire deaths on record, 73, and roughly half the structural fires recorded as early as 40 years ago -- proof, the City says, that the cutbacks can be made without compromising the safety of residents.
The budget is also contingent on whether or not the state legislature approves a $1.3 billion cut in aid to New York City.
However, City Council members and firefighters say the logic is flawed, and will be joining forces to rally in front of City Hall at 9:30 a.m.
According to the City Council Fire and Criminal Justice Committee Chair, the low number of death from fires does not include other emergencies, saying that in 2009 the FDNY responded to 473,024 calls -- compared to just 261,655 in 1970.
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