Community Forum to Discuss Fire Protection in Southwest Yonkers

[N1Medic 69]

From the Yonkers UFOA Facebook page:

 

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Community Forum to Discuss Fire Protection in Southwest Yonkers
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
YWCA, 87 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY

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After many years of neglect, Fire Station 1 on New School Street was condemned and closed on June 5, 2015. For the past 20 months the residents of Southwest Yonkers have not had their neighborhood firehouse across from Chicken Island. The Fire Department's only Rescue Company that was housed in Station 1 is now almost 3 miles away.

 

A Rescue Company is a specialized fire apparatus staffed by highly trained and experienced firefighters that respond to fires and other potential rescue incidents that require unique equipment and training. The main purpose of the Rescue Company is to rescue trapped or injured civilians and firefighters.

 

Although the Southwest section of the City has historically had the highest number of incidents of fires and the most deadly fires, the Rescue Company has been relocated to the other side of the City. "Plans" to rebuild the firehouse near Chicken Island are progressing at a snail's pace. To date, not even "plans or designs" have been finalized for a replacement firehouse.

 

The residents of Southwest Yonkers have been invited to attend the first in a series of community forums Tuesday night at the YWCA on South Broadway in Yonkers to learn more about this critical deficiency in fire and life protection in their neighborhoods. This series of community forums is being organized and hosted by IAFF Local 628 and UFOA, the organizations that represent almost 450 Yonkers Firefighters and Fire Officers.
Elected officials and the Media will be invited to attend this and future community forums to join the discussion and hopefully propose solutions to this crisis.

 

 

 

 

[61MACKBR1 222]

Where is Mayor Spano's promise to have Architect Drawings, Final Designs and a Site Selected by October of 2015? Hmmm? We are now looking at February 2017, and nothing on any account.and ZERO updates to the community by either Mayor Spano or anyone from his Administration on the status. Poor Communication and Management on the part of the Mayor of the City of Yonkers

[61MACKBR1 222]

http://yonkersvoice.com/a-message-from-our-yfd-to-the-people-of-yonkers/

 

valuable information provided by Chief Flynn, Mr. McGoey and Former Commissioner Pagano. What was brought up and was to the point, is the how the City of Yonkers has 'over the years' reduced the Fire Department Coverage in Southwest Yonkers. First you had the removal from service, back in 1976, of Engine Company 1 (aka Engine 301) and Rescue Company 1 (along with Truck 3/Ladder 3 from Station 11 on the East Side of the City), both (Engine 1 and Rescue 1) of which were quartered at the former Fire Headquarters/Station 1 on School Street (important note that Rescue Company 1 was eventually reinstated 24 years later in 2000 at Station 1, and is currently quartered at Station 7 on Central Park Avenue on the Southeast Side of the City. Also, Engine Company 302, that was formally located at the long closed Station 2 on Vineyard Avenue, was removed from service back in the 1980's. 

 

So essentially, you have 2 Fire Companies from the West Side of Yonkers, along with 2 Fire Stations on the West Side of Yonkers, removed from front line service, for the past 41 Years, in addition to the 3 Fire Company (Rescue 1) being out of service on the West Side for 24 of these 41 years. 

 

With the population of the City of Yonkers having increased significantly since 1976, it is event that there has been a significant reduction of Fire Service to the West Side of the City of Yonkers.

[x635 4,066]

I wonder how many sales tax dollars have been brought in by the Ridge Hill development, Cross County renovated mall, Stew Leonards,  Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, and the Target that will commence construction later this year

 

The city can't be crying poor.  And there's plenty of different choices for land.

 

If only they had built the baseball stadium during the "bubble". But it was foiled by all the merchants in the area that were against moving. Now all those merchants are out of business several years after "winning" the fight against the stadium. Yonkers would at least have a new Station 1, even if the stadium was a failure.

 

Let's also not forget there's a station that was promised to be built at Ridge Hill by the developers, but that never happened.

[kinkchaser 352]

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I recall Eng.1 Ldr.1 Res. 1 on School Street, additionally I remember Eng 2 an Ldr.2 on Vineyard Avenue, however what is the history of Eng. 5

[61MACKBR1 222]

21 hours ago, kinkchaser said:

I recall Eng.1 Ldr.1 Res. 1 on School Street, additionally I remember Eng 2 an Ldr.2 on Vineyard Avenue, however what is the history of Eng. 5

 

The Original Engine Company 5 was originally placed into service on May 1, 1901 and deactivated from front line service on February 1, 1942. However, on July 17, 1980, Engine Company 305 was placed into Front Line Service (originally based out of Station 2 on Vineyard Avenue and subsequently moved to Station 1/Fire Headquarters (after Station 2 was condemned) and then on April 19, 1982 was de-commissioned and taken out of front line service

 

In June of 1983, Engine Company 302 (formally Engine 2) was removed from Front Line Service.  Engine 1 was de-commissioned and taken out of Front Line Service on January 1, 1976.

[x635 4,066]

Could this property be a contender for the new Station 1? Article mentions moving FD HQ's there from it's current rental property just down the street. Also mentions the storage of large city vehicles as a possible use.

 

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/yonkers/2017/03/03/eminent-domain/98641630/

[61MACKBR1 222]

21 hours ago, x635 said:

Could this property be a contender for the new Station 1? Article mentions moving FD HQ's there from it's current rental property just down the street. Also mentions the storage of large city vehicles as a possibis le use.

 

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/yonkers/2017/03/03/eminent-domain/98641630/

 

Seth - I can't see this location as a site for the New Station 1. It is essentially still in Engine 310's coverage area and there is a tremendous amount of pressure to keep Rescue 1 and TL 71 in the Downtown Southwest Yonkers Area. (This move is probably just to be able to get out of leasing the 2 buildings that YFD is currently leasing at 460 and 470 Nepp. Aveunue and move YFD Headquarters and Special Operations into this possible spot just north. (But why just build a state of the art Fire Headquarters/Station 1, in the downtown area, and be done with it

[fire patrol nyc 153]

To answer 61MackBR1...and anybody else.....IT"S YONKERS...nothing is easy...nothing is simple...everything is a problem...in my opinion the administration is waiting to get the right price for the School st location,the building will not be torn down, it may be converted to residential/commercial... let's wait and see.......this is my OPINION based on years of observation of Yonkers politics...other opinions welcome