Two firehouses in Queens are set to upgrade their generators with brand new ones after the city council allocated over $2 million in funding for replacements.
Councilwoman Vickie dispersed $1.2 million each for two firehouses in her district – FDNY Engine 295 / Ladder 144 in Whitestone and Engine 320 / Ladder 167 in Flushing. She announced the allocation at the end of September for the 2024 Fiscal Year in partnership with City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
“I’m proud to allocate funding to two of the firehouses of my district for their purchase of brand new generators. These generators are crucial for the firehouses to ensure safety of the community and I’m proud to be the Council Member to provide that,” said Council Member Paladino. Thank you to the FDNY, especially the firehouses in my district, for your continued dedication to the safety of all residents.”
In instances of blackouts, brownouts and service-disrupting storms, backup generators are essential to allow firehouses to keep running and be equipped to respond to emergencies. With an increase in extreme weather conditions expected to continue as a result of climate change, functional generators are becoming even more essential.
Paladino said that the firehouse on 149th St. in Whitestone requested funding for a new generator last year. And this year the Flushing firehouse on Francis Lewis Blvd. followed suit with the same request.
The generators can be used to power necessary equipment such as radios to maintain communication and computer equipment to coordinate emergency services with other agencies such as police and emergency medical services. They can also power air extractors which keep diesel fumes from trucks out of firehouses, as well as pumps to stockpile and refill trucks with water and fuel.
Other types of generators are also built into fire trucks, and some trucks carry portable ones with less capacity as well.
“These vital upgrades represent a significant enhancement to our emergency response capabilities, and further securing our commitment to the citizens we proudly serve,” said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh in a statement provided to QNS.
At the beginning of this year, solar photovoltaic systems were installed at three firehouses in Queens, and three in Brooklyn, to generate emission-free energy that can be also be stored during outages. The goal of the initiative was to improve the resiliency of essential infrastructure, while also reducing the city’s carbon footprint.
