Closing Firehouses Won't Make City Residents Safer

NY Daily News 4/28/09

Mayor Bloomberg has announced that, this July he will permanently close 11 fire companies throughout the city and another five later in the year. This will bring the number of Fire department companies closed by the mayor to 22 since he took office.

It is foolish for the city to be closing vital community fire companies at a time when the FDNY has completed the four busiest years in its 140 plus history.

While many New Yorkers may only consider how this affects their local firehouse, fire companies respond across borough borders day and night for fire and medical emergencies, when needed. Bushwick's Engine 271 - now slated for for closure – is one such company, responding to an average of 2,550 alarms annually in both Brooklyn and Queens over the last three years.

On March 18, local residents got a view of life without the firehouse, as a three-alarm fire destroyed three homes and several neighborhood stores adjoining the Ridgewood Senior Citizen Center. The fire occurred on a night when Engine 271, just thre blocks away, was closed for the night by the mayor and fire commissioner to save money.

The story was quite different a week later, as nearby residents were trapped and kept from reaching their fire escape by heavy smoke and flames. While the fire could have resulted in numerous fatalities, on this night, Engine 271 had been kept open, and firefighters were able to evacuate residents and rescue three victims trapped behind window bars.

In January, the FDNY instituted a program to save 8.9 million by closing up to four fire companies each night between 6 p. m. amd 9 a. m. The companies include Engine Co. 271, Engine Co. 4 in lower Manhattan, Engine Co. 161 in Staten Island and Ladder Co. 53 on City Island.

Despite community opposition, thee mayor took the next step and announced that these four companies would be shuddered 24/7, along with 12 more yet to be determined. While understanding that the city is under fiscal constraints, any cuts to fire service now seem illogical.

The FDNY responds to all emergencies by selecting the closest unit from its grid. Anytime a fire company is closed, it adds additional time for others to respond from farther away, creating greater gaps in the grid. In firefighting, every second counts, as fires can reach 2,000 degrees in less than three minutes. By slashing FDNY companies and ambulance tours, the bean counters at City Hall will be playing with people's lives.

Who will pick up the slack for the average 2,550 emergency calls from Engine 271, ot those handled by each of the other 15 fire companies soon to be closed?

According to the Fire Department's own data, in the last four years, New York City firefighters have responded to the most emergency calls in the history of the FDNY. In this post 9/11 world, the FDNY's expanded responsibilities to protect New Yorkers cannot be accomplished with these firehouse closures.

When Mayor Bloomberg closed firehouses in May 2003, Queens and Brooklyn lost Engine 261 in Long Island City, Engine 209 in Bedford- Stuyvesant, Engine 212 in Williamsburg, Engine 278 in Sunset Park and Engine 204 in Cobble Hill. (Engine 36 in Harlem was also shuttered.) With 16 more companies to close this year, emergency response times will soar. Given that Queens already has the highest response times in the city, and Brooklyn remains the busiest borough for emergency calls, these firehouse cuts are a recipe for disaster.

New Yorkers must speak up now to protect their families, communities, and firehouses by calling the mayor at 311 and telling him to keep firehouses open.