Retired FDNY Lieutenant Bill Doody nearly lost his life in a fire because a city policy requires firehouses to be closed during annual physicals.

During the fire on Staten Island in February 2023, just over 20 firefighters were injured, including Doody.

“Fifty-six percent of my body were second- and third-degree burns,” Doody said.

Now, Doody is one of four current and former firefighters seeking $20 million each in damages from the city and the FDNY.

“There’s no common-sense reason to close down a firehouse without replacements,” lawyer Andreas Koutsoudakis said.

Koutsoudakis is representing the four men. The lawsuit is also seeking an injunction to stop the city from continuing the controversial policy on Staten Island.

“When I was first a firefighter in Brooklyn, there was never really an issue. Companies were right on top of each other. Everybody was close by. It was fine,” Doody said.

“But there were certain parts of the city. I know out in Queens, and definitely [on Staten Island], where they're spread out a little bit more and I feel makes a dangerous situation,” Doody said.

After the 2023 fire, an FDNY source said there were meetings to discuss how to better handle a situation like that from happening again.

“Following this incident, FDNY made changes to protocols including a dispatch announcement to fire companies during a wind advisory issued by the National Weather Service and changes to dispatch operations to automatically backfill when a fire company is placed out of service. The case is under review,” the FDNY said in a statement.