As reported, there were no injuries reported after a fire broke out in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx at 2698 Bailey Avenue on March 5, and on March 6, several small businesses were damaged, after a commercial fire broke out on East Gun Hill Road in the Laconia section of the East Bronx. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared his reaction to the latter fire with Norwood News later the same day.

 

Last month, on Feb. 7, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a press conference in Brooklyn to celebrate the $632,000 in federal funding she secured for Friends of Firefighters for its FDNY mental health and wellness programming, along with the full funding of the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding package that passed into law earlier the same week.

 

She said the funding for Friends of Firefighters will support mental health counseling for current and retired FDNY firefighters and their immediate family members, general wellness programming, peer support, community building, outreach, and de-stigmatization of mental health services.

 

Gillibrand’s office said the WTCHP was established in 2011 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and was originally funded for five years at $1.6 billion. They said the updated funding secured this year continues that commitment to ensuring 9/11 responders and survivors receive the care they need, now and in the years ahead. Click here and here for some related stories on this topic.

On Wednesday, March 4, fire officials from across New York State held an emergency press conference at the New York State Capitol in Albany, warning that a historic collapse in volunteer firefighter staffing has created a public safety crisis.

 

They said volunteer firefighter numbers have fallen to their lowest level in more than 40 years, reaching a critical breaking point that could leave firehouses unmanned and emergency calls unattended. They said nearly half a dozen firehouses across the state shut down last year because of a lack of volunteers.

 

Fire chiefs are calling on New York State legislators to pass legislation allowing nominal compensation for mandatory, on-duty fire personnel staffing firehouses, a step, they say, that is necessary to protect residents, firefighters, and first responders and stabilize the volunteer ranks.

 

They said fire service leaders point to alarming incidents in which fire companies have gone unmanned due to insufficient volunteer staffing — a situation they warn will continue to spread without immediate state action.

 

A day earlier, on March 3, State Sen. Robert Jackson (S.D. 31) joined New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City firefighters and fire officers to celebrate the signing of the senator’s bill, S4727, into law, guaranteeing that members of the New York City Fire Department Pension Fund can retire with full benefits after twenty years of service, regardless of age.

 

Jackson said that for years, firefighters and police officers hired under Tier 3 were required to serve longer than their Tier 2 colleagues to receive the same retirement benefit, despite working side by side, facing identical risks, and carrying the same responsibilities. He said bill S4727 ends that disparity and establishes a single, fair standard, adding that twenty years of service earns the right to retire with dignity.

The new law takes effect immediately and applies to police and fire members of the NYC Fire Department Pension Fund, which he said reinforces equity within the system and strengthens recruitment and retention across New York City’s public safety workforce.

“Justice in public service must be measured not only by what we ask of our workers, but by what we honor in return,” said Jackson. “I was proud to sponsor and fight for S4727 because twenty years of courage and sacrifice protecting New Yorkers should earn the right to retire, regardless of age or tier.”

He added, “Firefighters and police officers who stand shoulder to shoulder in service deserve equal treatment under the law. With this bill now signed into law, I thank Gov. Hochul for standing with us to correct a long-standing disparity, strengthen recruitment and retention, and make clear that fairness in our pension system is not a privilege; it is a promise.”

According to Jackson’s office, by aligning retirement eligibility across tiers, S4727 restores parity, boosts morale, and sends a clear message: New York honors those who dedicate two decades of their lives to keeping our communities safe.

 

Click here to read FDNY’s fire safety tips. “During a fire, always close the door behind you!” fire officials say. “It helps contain smoke and flames, giving you precious time to escape.”