Oh yeah, they were pissed. In 2004, Mayor Bloomberg closed down a bunch of firehouses that would supposedly cripple poor neighborhoods and leave the streets loaded with piles of charred black people due to the callousness of the evil white Mayor. We heard how the plan was racist and bigoted, and how it was an affront to the poor people of color in New York City.

Except it didn’t happen and over the last two years, times have gone down although, the UFA in its typical posturing fashion points out that structural fire response times have gone up by 14 seconds. I understand the whole “every second counts” thing, but quibbling over 14 seconds sounds a lot like nitpicking to me.

Metro also notes that fire-related deaths are down dramatically…

A total of 96 civilian fire fatalities were recorded last year, the same figure recorded in 1927. Despite a Bronx blaze last March that killed 10 people, including nine children, there have been fewer civilian fire fatalities between 2002 and 2007 than in any other consecutive six-year period in recorded history.

Gothamist, for whatever reason didn’t comment on the story at all, going 100% factual instead, but I’ll say this. There are a lot of people in this city who owe Mayor Bloomberg an apology. The amount of FUD being popped around this city by the UFA, the Al Sharptons of the City and the other usual suspects has not matched the reality of what has happened in the city. As is usually the case, Bloomberg is right. He cut back where cuts could be made and no one was hurt for it except for the UFA who relies on keeping the firefighter rolls full of dues-paying members and for City Council members worried about re-election.