Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) said 26 New York City firehouses halted operations on Saturday “due to Mayor de Blasio’s decision to lock unvaccinated firefighters out of work,” though the city’s fire chief said the department had not closed any firehouses and blamed “irresponsible bogus sick leave” by firefighters apparently protesting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that requires them to get the shot or face unpaid leave. “As of 7:30 this morning, 26 FDNY stations, including five in my district, have closed due to Mayor de Blasio’s decision to lock unvaccinated firefighters out of work,” Malliotakis said in an Oct. 30 statement, citing information from the Uniformed Firefighters Association. De Blasio recently announced a sweeping mandate requiring the entire municipal workforce to get vaccinated—with no testing option—by an Oct. 29 deadline, prompting protests by municipal workers and sympathizers opposed to the mandate and sparking concerns about a shortage of first responders. “The shortage of potentially …