An FDNY firefighter has died of a heart attack just months after being laid off as part of the city’s efforts to defund the immigration crisis. Grieving widows and children struggle to keep a roof over their heads.
Derek Floyd, 36, went into cardiac arrest and the city offered him aid as part of a larger effort to cut staff and pay for housing and services for the tens of thousands of immigrants flooding into the Big Apple. He passed away on April 15th, four months after I gave him the baby. .
Floyd was one of about 10 Fire Department employees who had been on “long-term duty,” and had been injured on the job and had to do clerical work, or had to take long breaks due to illness. He was fired a week ago, an FDNY official told the Post.
Floyd, a veteran of three tours in the Middle East with the Marine Corps, was among those working a hard desk job in the chaplain’s office after suffering another heart attack in 2019 while attending fire college.
In the chaplain’s office, a firefighter who was on shift helped make funeral arrangements for the deceased FDNY member.
The married father of two young children was seeking medical clearance to rejoin the fire service before being fired.
Mr. Floyd was reluctant to pay his family additional medical benefits or death benefits worth more than $600,000 when he was unsuccessful, and despite his years on the job, he was left with nothing for his family. There is nothing left.
“I wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” Floyd’s widow Christine, 34, told The Post about her family’s experience.
“I think it definitely took a toll on them to let him go,” she said of her husband’s firing. “He always tried to stay positive about it and he wasn’t too angry.
“But when you look at a person, the wheels turn in their brain and you’re just thinking all the time, so I definitely think that influenced us.”
After Mr. Floyd was fired, he found a job with a nonprofit that helps veterans, but the pay was a fraction of what he earned at the FDNY, with limited benefits and limited work hours. Because of this, I couldn’t spend time with my children. A 6 year old boy and a 2 year old girl.
“He was very present for our kids and everything else,” Christine said. “Being a firefighter was something he was really passionate about. He was a really family-oriented person who was all about kids.
“If Derek had stayed, he would have had life insurance with the FDNY,” his widow said. “It might help me financially because things are really bad right now. To be honest, I’m swimming in a lot of debt.”
Floyd’s firing was part of City Hall’s plan to cut the FDNY budget by $74 million by the end of 2025 to make way for spending on immigration.
It’s unclear how many “long-term” employees will ultimately be laid off as part of this effort, but there are typically 800 to 1,000 designated employees at any given time.
The NYPD is also facing cuts, with the elimination of five upcoming police academy classes set to cut its budget by $132 million.
The city Department of Education will also lose about $547 million, and the Sanitation Department’s budget will be cut by $32 million.
Some are outraged by Mr. Floyd’s firing and the resulting situation for his family after his death.
“My biggest concern is that the FDNY is short-staffed with hundreds of firefighters. [Floyd] It was absolutely not necessary,” Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro told the Post.
“He had an important job to do, and the FDNY actually needed him on that unit. His firing was to prove that the department was making cuts. He needed more You deserve to get better,” Ansbro added.
Christine said being with her family after being laid off and watching her husband struggle to make ends meet was the worst part of the experience.
“I really, really loved him, so it was tough,” she said.
“We are saddened by the passing of former apprentice firefighter Derek Floyd, and we are committed to providing financial, legal and legislative support to his family and ensuring they have the support they need during this time.” We will consider all options,” said Fire Marshal Laura Kavanagh.
City Hall did not respond to the Post’s request for comment.
Donations to help Mr. Floyd and others can be made to the New York Firefighters Foundation and mailed to FF Derek Floyd C/O UFA – NYFFinc 204 E. 23rd St, NY,NY 10010.
