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Unions representing thousands of New York City Fire Department firefighters are pressing the city to carve out congestion toll exemptions for its emergency responders.

The new congestion toll went into effect on Sunday, charging drivers of passenger vehicles $9 to enter Manhattan at or below 60th Street from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. During off-peak hours, the toll drops to $2.25.

‘Deal with the aftermath.’

The fees are expected to increase over time. Passenger vehicle drivers will be charged $12 by 2028 and $15 by 2031.

The FDNY unions argued that the fee must be waived for its firefighters or the city risks delayed emergency response times, warning it could be the “difference between life and death,” the New York Post reported.

The unions claimed firefighters were likely to leave their cars at home to avoid paying the costly fees, which could impact response times if they are called to a location outside their zone.

During a Sunday press conference, Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, addressed the unions’ concerns about the congestion toll.

Ansbro said, “All we were asking for was an exemption for our members bringing their vehicles into the zone. Those vehicles are regularly used to transport firefighters to and from their detail to another firehouse, which is a shortage in one spot, and they need them somewhere else.”

The unions explained that this situation occurs approximately 200 times daily throughout New York City. About 2,000 firefighters are working at any given time in the city, and most of them bring their vehicles to work with them, the unions said.

Firefighters would be forced to carry their bulky, 85-pound equipment on the public transit system or hope to catch a ride with a higher-up in an FDNY vehicle, the unions contended.

They further argued that relying on FDNY vehicles could cost taxpayers millions. Additionally, the unions claimed the congestion toll could lead to an additional $1.8 million in overtime pay.

They also argued that the congestion toll would generate additional traffic in the areas surrounding the zone as drivers try to circumvent it to avoid the fines.

Ansbro said, “We have a lot of members that are saying, ‘You didn’t want us to bring our vehicle into the city. Deal with the aftermath.'”

“This is not just a logistical issue — it’s a public health crisis in the making,” he added.

Ansbro called the congestion toll an “unfair tax burden” on the city’s firefighters and residents.

Jim Brosi, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, explained that the unions did not request “an entire fire department exemption.”

“We didn’t ask for an entire civil service exemption. We asked very specifically for the people who are working in here, so they don’t retire, so that they don’t transfer out, so we don’t lose institutional knowledge,” he remarked.

Mayor Eric Adams’ (D) office told WNYW, “Ensuring public safety is a top priority for the Adams administration. We do not expect any negative impacts to the department’s ability to respond to emergencies.”

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