By Craig McCarthy
City lawmakers called on the mayor and FDNY officials to help the family of an ex-firefighter who died after he was fired to cover costs for the migrant crisis.
Derek Floyd died of a heart attack earlier this month and his family was left with next to nothing after the 36-year-old was canned late last year as part of the administration’s cost-cutting measure to pay for the nearly $10 billion use to house and feed the tens of thousands of asylum seekers in NYC, The Post revealed.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle were outraged Monday when they learned of the news — slamming City Hall for pushing Floyd out of the department just months before he would have been vested with five years on the job.
“What a heartbreaking story,” said Bob Holden (D-Queens) on social media, sharing The Post’s story. “Why was a man who served our country and our city treated so poorly? This is unacceptable. His family deserves so much better. The FDNY needed to do more to find a position that could accommodate him medically.
“The city must do better,” he added.
The order to terminate Floyd, a Marine vet, came down on Nov. 14 just two days before the administration rolled out its first round of 5% cuts, leaving his family without the more than $600,000 in death benefits had he still been on the job when he passed away.
City officials told reporters that the fire department was targeting employees on light, long-term duty who couldn’t return to work for more than a year and a half to meet the budget cuts.
Floyd had been hired in 2019, but never made it to full active duty after he suffered a heart attack at home, leaving him unable to complete the fire academy. He had since been assigned to work in the ceremonial unit, which handles department funeral arrangements.
“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Floyd’s 34-year-old widow, Christine, told The Post of the family’s experience over the last few months.
“I think it definitely took a toll once they let him go,” she said of her husband’s firing. “He always tried to, like, stay positive about it, and he wasn’t really angry.
“We need the mayor to right the wrong on this one,” minority leader Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) fumed to The Post.
Councilmember Joann Ariola called the situation a “travesty.”
“I went to the funeral and saw the hurt on his family’s faces,” Ariola (R-Queens) said. “Derek Floyd was a true hero, and he and his family deserve better than this.
“A special exemption should be granted for the Floyd’s to ensure that they get the full benefits that Derek would have been entitled to,” she said, adding, “We have a $110 billion budget– you would think amidst all that, the city would be able to find a way to guarantee that the family of a hero can receive proper benefits.”
Bronx Democrat Oswald Feliz called for the city to step up.
“Dealing with the loss of a loved one is difficult, and we must support this family as much as possible — including by ensuring this loss doesn’t lead them to financial instability,” he said.
The Adams administration pushed back Monday morning after The Post story published, saying Floyd’s firing had nothing to do with the budget cuts, even though it was specifically mentioned as part of the department’s cost-cutting measures.
Fire officials said Monday they have been in talks to try to help the family out financially after his passing, but the timeline of when that could happen was not immediately clear.
“Sometimes in rare cases, light duty fire fighters have been able to stay on the job although they’re unable to fulfill their duties as fire fighters,” City Hall spokesperson Amaris Cockfield said. “In this case, separation occurred before and unrelated to the November plan. However, we will continue to ensure that his family gets the support they need during this time.”
The Uniformed Firefighter Association has since set up a fund for Floyd’s family. Donations to help the Floyds can be made to the “New York Firefighters Foundation” and sent by mail addressed to FF Derek Floyd C/O UFA – NYFFinc 204 E. 23rd St., New York, NY 10010.
The FDNY Foundation has also set up a college fund for Floyd’s kids, ages 2 and 6, and has helped cover funeral costs and provided counseling.