Credit: FDNY/Instagram
A beloved New York City firefighter and veteran passed away due to a heart attack after city officials fired him to help provide funding to care for illegal aliens. Now, his family is broke.
The New York Post reported Sunday that 36-year-old Derek Floyd suffered cardiac arrest and died on April 15. This was four months after the city canned him as part of a larger effort to trim staff and fund services for the tens of thousands of illegals invading the Big Apple.
The outlet reports NYC is aiming to cut the FDNY budget by $74 million by the end of 2025 to make way for even more spending on illegal aliens.
The Post reveals Floyd was dismissed weeks before Christmas. He had been a firefighter for four years and was one of roughly ten Fire Department employees on “long-term duty.”
Long-term duty means a firefighter was either injured on the job and given office work or is out sick for an extended period. Floyd was working in the chaplain’s office after suffering an earlier heart attack in 2019 while in the Fire Academy.
To make matters even worse, Floyd was just shy of vesting additional medical benefits for his family and more than $600,000 worth of death benefits when he was canned, leaving his family with nothing.
“If Derek would have stayed on, he would have had a life insurance policy with the FDNY,” Christine said. “That would have helped out financially because right now, it’s really bad. I’m honestly swimming in a lot of debt.” Floyd’s 34-year-old widow, Cristine, told The Post.
“I think it definitely took a toll once they let him go,” she added. “He always tried to, like, stay positive about it, and he wasn’t really angry.
After Floyd was terminated, he found a job with a nonprofit that helps veterans. The pay, however, was far less than what he made while working for the FDNY.
Moreover, he had limited benefits and the hours prevented him from spending time with his children.
Uniformed Firefighter Association president Andrew Ansbro blasted Derek’s firing in an interview with the Post, noting how unnecessary it was considering the FDNY is already understaffed.
“What disturbs me the most is that the FDNY is understaffed by hundreds of firefighters. Terminating Floyd was absolutely unnecessary,” Ansbro said.
“He had an important job, and the FDNY actually needed him in that unit,” Ansbro continued. “He was terminated so the department could prove that they were making cuts. He deserved better.”
In addition to his loyal service as an FDNY employee, Floyd served three tours of duty in the Middle East with the Marines.
He is survived by Christine and their two children, a 6-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl.
The Post notes that donations to help the Floyds in their time of need can be made to the “New York Firefighters Foundation” and sent by mail addressed to FF Derek Floyd C/O UFA – NYFFinc 204 E. 23rd St., New York, NY 10010.
The post Infuriating: Beloved 36-Year-Old New York City Firefighter and Military Veteran Dies from a Heart Attack After Being Fired to Pay for Illegal Aliens – Family is Left With Nothing appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
