The pilot of the FDNY fireboat that collided with another vessel and killed a visiting Belgian firefighter has quietly retired with a six-figure annual increase in his three-quarters disability pension. This was revealed in a report by the Post.
Firefighter Thomas Waller, who retired this month after 22 years on the job, will receive a tax-free pension of at least $110,000 a year.
His well-meaning departure comes on the heels of a damning U.S. Coast Guard investigation that cited the pilot’s reckless maneuvering and “dangerous speed” in the Marine Corps 1 Bravo crash that fatally injured Johnny Biernert. Ta.
The incident shed some light on the long-standing misuse of emergency medical FDNY fireboats to entertain friends and relatives of high-ranking officials.
This tragic death occurred at 9:00 p.m. on June 17, 2022, when former FDNY Captain Stephen Lonergan appeared at Manhattan’s Marine 1 Pier for a sightseeing excursion aboard a fireboat to the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. This occurred after I asked him to accompany me. Mr. Bernert, 54, and his wives.
The pier commander assigned Waller to pilot the impromptu voyage.
According to a Coast Guard report, Marine No. 1 Bravo cruised along the East River at up to 28 mph as the chartered pleasure boat Honcho cruised nearby at 6 mph.
Bernhardt died from “blunt force trauma” to his head when the chief T-boned the fireboat, causing its bow to crash into the cabin where FDNY passengers were enjoying the view. . Others were treated for minor injuries.
Based on FDNY pension regulations, Residual disability benefits for injuries caused by work-related accidents It cannot be collected as a result of the retiree’s “own fault.”
FDNY retirees are generally eligible for a pension based on half of their annual average of their salaries for the past three years. Disability pension will be paid at 75%.
Waller was not named in the Coast Guard investigation report, but said the fireboat operator was “treated and released” by medical professionals on the night of the crash.
It is unclear what medical problems Waller claimed warranted disability benefits. Many firefighters cite lung disease. An FDNY spokesperson declined to describe the injuries.
At the time of the accident, Laura Kavanaugh, then acting fire chief, was seeking to succeed Dan Nigro, who is retiring. Details of the fatal accident were kept secret pending an investigation by the Coast Guard, and it took almost two years for the report to be released.
Mr. Waller, along with a lieutenant, captain and battalion chief, were on duty the night of the crash, but were either assigned to a desk job or transferred from the FDNY’s Marine Division. The captain also recently retired.
No one received any disciplinary action that would constitute a basis for denial of disability pension benefits.
“If you ask me, he’s being rewarded,” a fellow FDNY retiree said of Waller, adding that members who receive disability benefits after 20 years with the agency can take outside jobs. Ta. “He may work for another boat company.”
“People have a right to know where their money is going, and this is a new situation that shows why protecting that right is so important,” said the Empire Center for Taxpayer Watchdog Group. Tim Hofer, President and CEO of Public Policy. Won the lawsuit in 2015 Demanding disclosure of soaring FDNY pension costs.
This tragic scenic flight violated multiple FDNY maritime regulations, including that fireboats must have three operators on board, including one police officer and two firefighters, and one person to act as a lookout. Was.
Bernhardt, a Belgian army sergeant and father of two, had planned to retire within a year, but continued working as a firefighter.
His widow, Heidi Vermandel, is suing both the city and New York City Boat Tours, which owned the town, in Brooklyn federal court. The judge encouraged both parties to seek private mediation to reach a settlement.
Waller’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment. Mr. Vermandel has not made any allegations against Waller personally.
“A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do,” her lawyer, Paul Hoffman, said of Ms. Waller. “He served the city. He worked hard and earned what he earned. It’s not for me to judge that.”
