Loud and Clear

“Save 306! Save 306!”
Fifth graders from nearby Sacred Heart School did not want their firehouse to go silently into the night.
With chants that could be heard for blocks, the fiery fifth graders marched from their school on 38th Avenue to the firehouse approximately 10 blocks away. Along the Bell Boulevard route their chants brought intrigued shoppers and business owners to their doors.
Parents and politicians – State Senator Tony Avella, Assemblymember Ed Braunstein and Councilmember Dan Halloran – joined the children in their march.
This marching protest came a week after a rally was held in front of the firehouse in hopes of staving off its closure but now the local students wanted to be heard.
Andrew Matusewicz, 10, was one of the approximately 40 students who raised their voice in support of the firehouse.
“What if there is a fire in Bayside,” Matusewicz asked. “It may be too late by the time another fire truck gets here.”
“This is what we need to show the mayor. Even the kids are concerned about saving the firehouses,” said Avella.
“This is great,” said a hollering Halloran. “These kids wanted to do something to make a difference.”
The idea stemmed from parents speaking during another rally to save the firehouse on Wednesday, June 1. They wanted to get the children involved in a cause close to home.
“They are the ones that will grow up here; they need the fire department,” said Mike Sullivan, one of the parents that helped orchestrate the rally.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed a list of 20 firehouses citywide – including four in Queens — that could close as a result of budget cuts. According to published reports, $55 million is needed to save the 20 firehouses that the mayor has targeted for closure.