Council Member Elizabeth S. Crowley Receives Public Service Award

Council Member Elizabeth S. Crowley was presented with the Public Service Award for her dedication to the Fire Department of New York, Wednesday night, at the Fourth Annual Friends of Firefighters Fall Fundraiser.

As Chair of the Fire and Criminal Justice Chair, Council Member Crowley has worked hand-in-hand with Friends of Firefighters to ensure that our fire companies have the resources they need.

This past year, Mayor Bloomberg proposed closing 20 fire companies throughout New York City. Council Member Elizabeth S. Crowley knows what a critical role our fire department plays in keeping the public safe. Despite difficult budget negotiations, she joined Speaker Christine C. Quinn, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, the Uniformed Firefighters Association and FDNY supporters, like Friends of Firefighters, to fight the Mayor’s decision and ensure that our fire companies are here to stay.

Friends of Firefighters was established in the wake of September 11 to provide support to retired and veteran firefighters alike. The Brooklyn-based group offers counseling on a wide array of issues to FDNY members and their families. After the attacks on the World Trade Center, Friends of Firefighters were there to assist widows and children as well as to help firefighters cope with the loss of their fellow members.

The organization offers confidential individual, couples and family counseling with experienced licensed mental health providers in the areas of anger management, stress reduction, anxiety and panic, depression, alcohol and substance abuse, relationship/marriage counseling, children and adolescents, retirement adjustment, trauma, grief and loss, and balancing job and family.

Actor Steve Buscemi, former member of Engine Company 55 and an active advocate for the widows and survivors of 9/11, was inducted into the Honor Roll for his dedication to the group. President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, Steve Cassidy, and President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, Al Hagan were also named Friends to the Friends of Firefighters.

Council Member Elizabeth S. Crowley said, “In the past decade, Friends of Firefighters has provided exceptional care to hundreds of FDNY families. Nancy Carbone and her team have provided life-changing support for so many people. It was an honor to be recognized at their fundraiser.”