There have been some bad things as a result of the illegal aliens influx.
But what happened to Derek Floyd and his family may be one of the most tragic stories resulting from the failure to properly deal with the problem.
Floyd was a New York City firefighter who was fired by the city as part of their effort to cut costs in order to pay for housing and services for the tens of thousands of illegal aliens.
NYC firefighter dies of heart attack after being fired to pay for migrants — leaving his family with nothing https://t.co/yplOo0Csp9 pic.twitter.com/Snv1TRXECx
— New York Post (@nypost) April 28, 2024
Floyd was one of about 10 fire department employees who had been on “long-term duty” — either injured on the job and given office work or out sick for an extended period — and fired weeks before Christmas, FDNY sources told The Post.
Floyd, a veteran who served three tours in the Middle East with the Marines, had been among those working a desk job — toiling in the fire department chaplain’s office — because he had suffered another heart attack in 2019 while he was in the Fire Academy.
In the chaplain’s office, the firefighter, who was on modified duty, helped arrange the funerals of fallen FDNY members.
Floyd was in the process of trying to get medically cleared when he was fired and he was just short of more medical benefits and $600,000 in death benefits vesting. He got another job working for a non-profit that helped veterans but it didn’t make anywhere near what his firefighter job did and didn’t have all the benefits.
So when he died, his family, his wife, and two children, ages 6 and 2, were left with nothing.
“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Floyd’s 34-year-old widow, Cristine, told The Post of the family’s experience.
“I think it definitely took a toll once they let him go,” she said of her husband’s firing. [….]
“If Derek would have stayed on, he would have had a life insurance policy with the FDNY,” the widow said. “That would have helped out financially because right now, it’s really bad. I’m honestly swimming in a lot of debt.”
This happened because of the city’s plan to cut the FDNY budget by $74 million by the end of 2025 to have more money to deal with illegal aliens. It’s not clear how many FDNY members were let go as a part of this move. There are generally 800 to 1000 people in the “long-term duty” category that Floyd had been in. The city is also making cuts to the NYPD by cutting upcoming Police Academy classes and they’re also cutting their Department of Education by $547 million and the Department of Sanitation by $32 million. All because of illegal aliens.
This, despite being short on firefighters.
“What disturbs me the most is that the FDNY is understaffed by hundreds of firefighters. Terminating [Floyd] was absolutely unnecessary,” Uniformed Firefighter Association president Andrew Ansbro told The Post.
“He had an important job, and the FDNY actually needed him in that unit. He was terminated so the department could prove that they were making cuts. He deserved better,” Ansbro added.
It’s incredible that you would do this to a firefighter who not only suffered in the line of duty but was also a Marine who served multiple tours. And then how many other people have they booted as well under this? This is all on the head of Joe Biden, who created the problem, and the city that is picking the wrong approach to dealing with it. Illegal aliens do not come first in this equation, yet this is where Democrats have left us.
The Fire Commissioner said they would do what they can to help the family.
City Hall didn’t respond, and doesn’t that say it all?
There’s a GoFundMe out there, but there’s no real name on it and it spells Floyd’s wife’s name wrong, so I’m not sure it’s official. But the NY Post says that donations sent by mail to “New York Firefighters Foundation” addressed to FF Derek Floyd C/O UFA – NYFFinc 204 E. 23rd St., New York, NY 10010 will get to the family.
Related:
NYC Youth Soccer Game Canceled After Group of Illegals Refuses to Vacate the Field
