Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Concern over possible closure of Ladder 116

From LIQCity:

More budget cuts to hit Long Island City, only this time it’s not the MTA. It’s the FDNY and Dutch Kills is in danger of losing a very important firehouse (aren’t they all?) No. 116, which also serves Roosevelt Island. Needless to say, no one is very happy about this, and there’s already been the obligatory political/press protest of the firehouse closing on Friday.

Officially FDNY has not announced exactly which firehouses they’re shutting down in the city, but No 116 appears to be on the potential chopping block.


Why this is even under consideration is mind boggling. Let me remind the mayor and the city council that they UPZONED all of these neighborhoods over the past few years and if anything, there is more of a need for firehouses now than before. Especially since you closed another firehouse in LIC in 2003. If you are going to promote the BUILD, BUILD, BUILD!!! philosophy, then you need to provide services for the surplus population that it invites.

Hey, weren't all the new luxury condos supposed to pay for this stuff anyway?

They never factored in what would happen if they were sitting empty.

More from the Gotham Gazette.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you turn 116 upside down you get 911. How ironic!

Anonymous said...

This area has greater population with a greater challenge to reach many in the many new high rise buildings, including the office building sprouting up at Queens plaza. What is the Mayor thinking> He should spend more time in Queens rather than in London, he is out of touch.

Anonymous said...

my father worked at that house as a captain over 10 years ago and it was busy then the people on roosevelt island should be out protesting this they are also the first due truck at the ciibank building and they are specially trained for handling incidents within that building

Anonymous said...

Sure, let's close another firehouse. Pray to God that there isn't a serious fire or terrorist attack. The most important thing is that the City Council made sure they got their pay raises this year. Bloomberg's staff got them too.

Anonymous said...

Not to mention we need to save money for the resultant lawsuits.

Toby S said...

Fire in the hole!

Anonymous said...

We should fire Penny Lee. She did not do a good job planning.

And the "Upzone!" / "Millstones are Rocks" DKCA will NOT be the heros.

Anonymous said...

4 days in counting until the mayor announces which companies will close. The Community Boards need a 45-day notice when a firehouse is being closed and Doomberg doesn't plan on giving them an extra day to fight it. May 17th we will know.

Anonymous said...

This makes no sense. You build properties to expand a population, but remove essential services to protect the population - right? It makes no sense. How much are they saving - lunch money for a year to feed the City Council?