Latest news with #FDNY
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
It's way past time for Mayor Adams to lift the NYPD bans on facial-ID tech
New York City's bans on facial-recognition tech have got to go. The charges that were dropped against Zuhdi Ahmed prove that. Ahmed was a pro-Palestinian protester accused of throwing a rock at a pro-Israel counter-demonstrator. Yet a judge ruled that he can't be charged because cops used prohibited AI facial-recognition tech (a tip provided by a FDNY fire marshal in response to a Crimestoppers post) to nail him. Let's be clear: There's nothing wrong with such tools in the pursuit of justice. In this case, FDNY fire investigators did what they always do — they shared crimefighting information with their colleagues. Yet Judge Valentina 'Let-'em-go' Morales deemed that detectives ran afoul of departmental guidelines in using information obtained by a city fire marshal who was investigating the burning of an Israeli flag at the protest and turned up publicly sourced photos of Ahmed at high school social events. Per The City, the Legal Aid Society filed suit targeting the FDNY's use of Clearview AI's facial-recognition software in previous investigations. Bad enough the NYPD is banned from using such tech; but banning its use outside the department is just bonkers, ensuring that perps who could otherwise be made to pay for their crimes simply won't. Plus, under the department's facial-recognition guidelines implemented in 2020, NYPD investigators are limited to searches of arrest and parole photos. In 2019, NYPD's facial-recognition software helped ID the mystery man who left a pair of rice-cooker bombs in the subway. The man, Larry Griffin II was ID'd before the devices were found to be fakes. Nor is this a matter of government spying or a breach of privacy: Cameras are all over the place these days, and pictures of people fill up the internet. Meanwhile, facial-recognition tech — in combination with AI — is evolving and improving as an effective investigative tool. Mayor Eric Adams needs to lift the ban pronto.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
City Council lefties tackle ‘affordability' by driving up grocery prices. Brilliant
'Affordability' is New Yorkers' No. 1 issue, per Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani. So what did the City Council just do? It passed a measure (by a veto-proof majority) virtually guaranteeing grocery prices will shoot up — specifically, by requiring app-based delivery companies to shell out a minimum of about $21 an hour to delivery workers. The companies will just pass on their added costs to the public, driving business down in the process. The union representing the city's first responders say under the new rates, rookie FDNY EMTs — whose starting pay is $39,386 — will earn less than illegal-immigrant deliveristas. And who knows how many of these delivery workers will soon be out of jobs, thanks to this bill: When the council, in December 2023, bumped up the minimum wage to $18 for app-based restaurant delivery workers, menu prices jumped 12% and app fees spikes 58%. Consumers spent 10% more on deliveries the next quarter than during the same quarter the year before. (Inflation was just 4% in 2023.) But not only were customers screwed, so were the people the hike was supposed to help: the workers. For starters, the average tip amount plunged by $2.64. Worse, many lost their jobs: Active worker accounts on delivery apps fell 9% in Q1 of 2024 over Q1 in 2023; UberEats couriers sank by 12,000. This time, some in the industry are projecting the hikes will push up grocery-delivery costs by 46% on New Yorkers directly, and 13% on local grocery stores. Can you think of a more direct assault on 'affordability'? Actually, we can think of one — and it'll be plain as day if socialist Zohran Mamdani becomes mayor and tries to make the city 'affordable.'
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Business Insider
My dad is a retired FDNY firefighter, but hasn't slowed down one bit. He's shaped my own vision of work and retirement.
On a recent Saturday morning, my retired parents texted me, the resident family foodie, for restaurant recommendations in Raleigh, North Carolina. I don't live there, but they figured I'd know where to look. They're not on vacation, exactly — they're there for one of my dad's 60-and-over softball league tournaments. This is just part of what retirement looks like for my dad, a retired FDNY firefighter. Rather than settling into a life of golf courses or cruise ship decks, he's just as busy now as he was when he was working — he's simply doing different things. After more than 20 years fighting fires in New York City, with his pension secured, my dad could have easily slowed down. He could have embraced the kind of stillness most people dream about. Instead, he picks up shifts chaperoning events at our hometown high school a few times a month, everything from school dances to football games. During his FDNY days, he spent years as captain of the department's softball team, and these days, he still hits the field for regular batting practice and travels around the country to compete in senior leagues. This is his idea of taking it easy. It doesn't surprise me at all that he hasn't slowed down Some people might ask: Why keep "doing" when you don't need to? But that question has never really made sense to me. My dad never had just one job. He was running into burning buildings, yes, but also running a small sunroom business he had built from the ground up while making sure he never missed my brother's hockey games or my dance recitals. His own parents had grown up in Queens with very little and worked hard to move the family out to a house in the suburbs. I think, on some level, he felt he owed it to them to make good on that effort. The way I saw it growing up, slowing down almost felt selfish — movement wasn't just a habit, it was a way of honoring where we came from. It's no surprise, then, that I find myself replicating that rhythm. I work full-time as the Head of Marketing at a music tech startup, which means that on evenings and weekends, I'm rarely truly "off." And, still, I pitch articles like this one, and I take on freelance clients when I can. The idea of being satisfied with just one job — even if it's a stable one — has never quite taken root in me, and that's not because I fear stillness, but because ambition has always looked like staying in motion. Watching my dad retire taught me that effort doesn't stop being meaningful once the paycheck becomes optional; it just becomes far more personal when you're not just doing it for money. He does it because he likes being part of something that's larger than himself, whether that's in the hallways of his alma mater or trash-talking in the dugout with guys he's known for decades. There's an inherent purpose in that rhythm. And sure, I know what the headlines say: older Americans are working longer, and it's often framed around worries about economic uncertainty, about disappearing pensions, and sometimes that is why. But, sometimes, it's a value system passed down — whether we asked for it or not. I'll likely have a similar version of retirement My dad's version of retirement is not about refusing to rest but rather about refusing to disappear. His life now is proof that being mentally, socially, and physically active can be its own kind of joy, that usefulness and community don't have to be casualties of aging. He's still ordering new bats and gloves, booking travel to tournaments, and texting me for restaurant recs in whatever city he's landed in. Meanwhile, I'm working from home in San Juan, Puerto Rico, laptop open, pitching another story while practicing my Spanish and planning my next salsa class. Clearly, neither of us seems interested in sitting still. When I think about my own future, I'm not sure I'll ever want the version of retirement where I just vanish into leisure, either. Maybe that's the gift my dad gave me: a model for what aging could look like — one where I don't lose sight of myself, but I refocus. Not a stop point, but an entirely new chapter to start — one where your time is still yours to shape in whichever way you see fit. If I ever do retire, I hope it looks a lot like his. Full of play, purpose, and enough momentum to keep me in motion.
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Two elite NYPD cops rescue two from burning Queens home
They went from the Finest to the Bravest. Two heroic NYPD officers spotted a fire in a Queens building Wednesday morning and leapt into action, busting down doors and dousing flames while searching for victims — with one telling The Post: 'It's in our blood.' Stunning video obtained by The Post shows Emergency Services Unit Sgt. Bryan Vesely and Detective Dan Dongvort, who were on patrol in ESU Truck 9 in Jamaica, Queens, when they sniffed out danger. 9 Two ESU cops smelled smoke in Queens that led them to a house on fire with sleeping residents inside, video shows. New York City Police Department 'We were just driving around the area and we noticed that there was a strong odor of smoke,' said Vesely, 38, a 12-year veteran. 'We noticed that the streets in the area were starting to fill up with smoke.' The two officers, part of an elite, 350-member unit known for daring feats, made their way to 229th Street, where they saw smoke pouring out of an attic vent, video shows. Training immediately kicked in for the officers, who are both volunteer firefighters in Long Island, and they boldly headed into the blaze. 9 Flames raged through the Cape Cod-style home's roof as the two ESU cops searched the home for survivors. Obtained by the New York Post 'I radioed that we needed the FDNY and EMS,' said Vesely. 'It was unknown if we had anyone inside.' Dongvort, 38, grabbed air tanks and door-opening halligan tools, and pressurized water can out of the ESU truck. 'There was a good volume of smoke pushing out of the top,' Dongvort said. 'I moved the vehicle off to the side so the FDNY could get in.' 9 NYPD Emergency Services Unit Sergeant Bryan Vesely ran into the home to find survivors. Obtained by the New York Post Video shows the courageous twosome donning the compressed oxygen packs, prying open doors and scouring the Cape Cod-style home for survivors. They checked three smoke-filled bedrooms and didn't find anyone but became worried when they saw children's toys. 'We did a secondary search to make sure we weren't missing anyone,' Dongvort said. 'Kids hide in very small spaces.' 9 ESU Det. Dan Dongvort used a halligan bar to bust through locked doors. Obtained by the New York Post Meanwhile, Vesley used the water can to knock back flames that licked at the floor and walls. 'I went outside to try to get a 360 of the house to see if we were missing anything,' Dongvort said. 'Turns out there was a basement apartment.' The two went downstairs and roused a sleeping man and woman, and hurriedly escorted them outside, the video shows. 9 The fire broke out in a Queens home on Wednesday. New York City Police Department Vesley then pulled the stairs down from the attic and climbed inside. 'I made my way up and it looked like there was a large volume of fire right behind me,' Vesely said. 'I tried my best to hold the fire back with the water can.' By then, the FDNY was on the scene and took over battling the all-hands blaze. 9 The ESU cops went through all the rooms and amped up their search after spying toys. New York City Police Department The residents were treated on the scene, and the woman thanked the cops from inside the ambulance. The cause of the blaze is being investigated by fire marshals. 'It's not everyday we just happen to roll upon a house fire,' Vesely said. 'But we do deal with high risk rescues and high risk warrants everyday. So something like this is very common for us.' 9 ESU trucks are stocked with equipment that allows cops to jump into dangerous situations. New York City Police Department The humble cops said they don't need accolades. 'I like to think that any other patrol cop would have done the same thing,' Vesely said. 'I think what gave us the advantage was having the proper equipment and our training.' 9 The officers had a pressurized water can with them that helped them extinguish some of the flames as they searched. New York City Police Department The detective agreed. 'In reality a lot of what we do is the nooks and crannies of the city and we're making problems go away for The City of New York,' he said. 'That's really what makes ESU so great. It's truly about making a difference and doing the job. 'It's in our blood.' 9 The officers found a sleeping man and woman in a basement apartment and guided them to safety, the video shows. New York City Police Department Afterwards, the sergeant went to a hospital for an evaluation because of smoke inhalation. 'I texted my wife that I had to go to the hospital and everything was all right and not to worry,' he said. 'She said, 'All right.' She's used to it.'
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Dozens of propane tanks found in back of van after crash in NYC, police say
A driver is facing charges after police say they found dozens of propane tanks in the back of his van following a crash in Manhattan. Police said they responded to a crash Tuesday night at 42nd Street and 10th Avenue in midtown. The driver of the white mini van attempted to get rid of his keys and claimed he could not open the van, according to police. Police said the responding officers noticed a strong smell of gas and propane tanks in the back of the van. The FDNY was called in to remove 76 propane cylinders and 15 fuel canisters, for a total of 75 gallons of gas and 10 gallons of diesel, police said. The fire department posted four photos on social media, showing the cylinders stacked on top of each other in the back of the van, and then lined up on the street. The driver was charged with reckless endangerment and police said he was in violation of multiple fire codes. Police did not provide any details about why the man had so many tanks in his van. The Manhattan district attorney's office is now handling the case.
