Head of FDNY Union Calls for Probe Into Information Leak

SI Advance - September 06, 2007

The head of the Uniformed Firefighters Association today blasted FDNY leadership and called for top department officials to be subpoenaed to testify following an information leak regarding the death of a Staten Island firefighter.

"Not only has the Fire Department not investigated conditions leading up to the tragedy, but it has compromised its own investigation by leaking information," said Steve Cassidy, as he called for the Manhattan District Attorney's office to subpoena top officials to probe the leak, during a press conference in Manhattan.

This weekend, reports surfaced that Robert Beddia, 53, of South Beach, who perished while battling the Deutsche Bank fire at Ground Zero, had approximately five minutes of air left in his breathing tank and may have died trying to save a colleague.

-- Contributed by Peter N. Spencer