Staten Island leaders say it's time the borough had its own New York City Fire Department squad company. Staten Island is the only borough without an FDNY squad company. It's never had one. With the island growing rapidly, Borough President James Oddo says that's no longer acceptable.
"Staten Island on a day to day basis is actually under served by the FDNY. We need more fire protection," says Oddo.
All 11 island elected officials signed a letter to FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro, asking for the borough's own squad. The FDNY defines a squad as a group of highly trained firefighters for special operations including water rescue, high angle rescue, or confined space rescue.
“Any job like that, an extrication from a car, we want to have a squad available to us,” says Oddo.
Staten Island has two specialized units, Rescue 5 and HazTech Engine Company 165, but no squad company.
Officials who signed the letter say frequently there isn't anyone in the borough with special operations rescue training. They say firefighters at Rescue Company 5 often have to respond to calls in Brooklyn.
Some Staten Islanders say having a squad dedicated to the island is long overdue.
"It's a long distance, by the time they come, it could be too late," says Jimmy Georgio, a Mariners Harbor Resident.
"This is a borough that seems to borrow from other boroughs. We should have our own trained officers here,” says Sharri Dixon of New Brighton.
The request doesn't suggest how the squad would be funded, but says there is plenty of room at existing firehouses and no new space is needed. An FDNY spokesperson declined our request for an on camera interview, but told us the department received the letter, and the request is under review.