FDNY brass is turning up the heat on pro-Trump firefighters who showered state Attorney General Letitia James with boos at a raucous promotion ceremony, a memo obtained by The Post reveals.
The memo, handed out at Big Apple firehouses Sunday, warns firefighters that department investigators are reviewing video footage of the event in Brooklyn last week to ID those behind the “grossly inappropriate” conduct — and cautioned them to keep their politics at home.
“When you’re not on duty, feel however you want about politicians,” the document said. “Vote. Protest. That’s your right. But don’t do it on the job’s time, on other members’ time, or on their families’ time. Do it on your own time.”
The memo also reinforced that the department’s Bureau of Investigations and Trials was going after the offenders — echoing an email by Chief of Department John Hodges on Saturday.
Firefighters “should understand that BITS is gathering video and identifying members that brought discredit … to the department,” the Sunday memo said. “We want the members to come forward. They will come to HQ to be educated [on] why their behavior is unacceptable.”
The memo also said the department’s reputation with the ceremony’s host has also been damaged, and added that “we may lose that venue now.”
The controversy stems from a department ceremony Thursday at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, where the crowd — including the families of captains, battalion chiefs and civilians up for promotion — erupted in loud jeers as James walked to the podium.
“Oh, come on,” James told the crowd. “We’re in a house of God. First, simmer down.
“Thank you for getting it out of your system.”
As James continued her speech, the booing swiftly turned to chants in support of former President Donald Trump.
“Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!” the crowd bellowed.
The AG famously won a $454 million civil fraud judgment against Trump last month, convincing a judge that the former president inflated the value of his New York State holdings to dupe banks and investors.
Trump is appealing the decision.
But the display at the ceremony ticked off Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, who launched an investigation to track down the offending firefighters.
Meanwhile, Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, called the outburst at the ceremony “disappointing” — but said the union will always stand behind its members.
“We’re all kind of disappointed with what happened. It wasn’t a political event,” Ansbro told The Post Sunday. “Letitia James has always been a friend of the UFA. “This was disappointing. It was in a church. It’s not the place for it.
“Some members took the opportunity to express their beliefs. It wasn’t the time or place to do that.”
But, Ansbro added, “We will strongly defend any of our members who face discipline.”
https://nypost.com/2024/03/10/us-news/fdny-turns-up-heat-on-firefighters-who-cheered-trump-booed-letitia-james-with-scolding-internal-letter/