By Courtney Dentch
Hundreds of Woodhaven residents filled 87th Street Saturday shouting “Save Our Station” to protest the proposed closing of the firehouse that dispatches Engine 293, which has protected the community since 1915.
Engine 293, at 89-40 87th St. is one of eight firehouses, including another in Maspeth, that Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to shut to save about $11 million in the city budget. But area residents – many of whom live on tightly packed blocks – say closing the station would put their lives and houses at risk.
“There are homes that will suffer and burn if this firehouse closes,” said Maria Thompson, president of the Greater Woodhaven Civic Association. “People will die. Our friends, our families are in jeopardy.”
More than 200 residents and firefighters came to Saturday's rally to send their message to Bloomberg. In November, the mayor proposed closing Engine 293 along with seven other fire units throughout the city to save more than $10 million and to help reverse the city's multibillion-dollar deficit.
But City Councilman Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who organized the rally in front of the firehouse, said the money would not be worth the lives that could be lost.
“Ten million dollars is nothing when you talk about saving lives,” Addabbo said. “The city believes it can't afford to keep the firehouse open. We say we cannot afford to close them.”
Addabbo offered up alternative ways to raise the money to keep the firehouses open, including corporate sponsorship of the stations, hiring 100 more firefighters to reduce costly overtime pay, streamlining civilian administrative positions in the Fire Department, and making bill collection on ambulance services more efficient.
Councilman Dennis Gallagher (D-Middle Village) agreed that other solutions could be found rather than closing the firehouse.
“There are alternatives,” Gallagher said. “There are answers. I will not under any circumstances support the city budget if a single firehouse has to close.”
Closing the firehouse would force the residents to rely on other ladder and engine companies further away, Addabbo said. And while the difference in response time may only be 30 seconds, that small increase could be devastating, said Joe Lentini, an eight-year Woodhaven resident.
“This area has gotten very congested,” he said. “There's no room for any mistakes here. All these houses are old. This is an old neighborhood.”
Engine 293, which has been in the community for more than 85 years, saved a 90th Street block from burning three years ago when it responded to a Thanksgiving day fire, said resident Luke Monaghan.
“If they hadn't responded in three minutes, that whole block would have gone up,” he said. “We need to do whatever it takes to keep this firehouse open.”
A blue-ribbon panel charged with making final recommendations to Bloomberg and the Council on how to avoid closing firehouses was scheduled to issue its report Friday, but some say the residents who have seen the blazes are the true experts.
“The people have seen fires around here,” said Lt. Joe Reid of Engine 293. “They know they need fire protection.”
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
