4 demoted FDNY chiefs file lawsuit to get jobs back
NEW YORK -- Four of the 11 FDNY chiefs demoted by the department are suing to get their jobs back.
According to the suit, the demotions, ordered by FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, will go into effect on March 4 and March 6.
The chiefs served as incident commanders for multi-alarm fires across the city.
An attorney for the plaintiffs says removing them from their essential safety functions will put the public's lives at risk.
"After these demotions become effective later this week, there will be no incident commanders at all in the FDNY that have ever served as the incident commander for a five-alarm fire, which is the most serious and grave and risky," said attorney Jim Walden.
The city's law department says the personnel decisions made by Kavanagh were "lawful and within her authority."