By Rebecca Henely
More than 100 firefighters and their supporters, ranging from babies and children sitting on their parents’ shoulders to a 95-year-old civic member, crowded the sidewalk and overflowed onto Greenpoint Avenue Friday as they protested Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to close Blissville’s Ladder 128.
“It makes no sense. It’s wrong, it’s reckless and we need to stop it,” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said.
Ladder 128, at 33-49/33-51 Greenpoint Ave., is one of 20 across the city of New York and one of four in Queens slated for closure due to budget constraints. Other firehouses in Queens set to be axed include Engine 294 at 101-20 Jamaica Ave. in Richmond Hill, Engine 306 at 40-18 214th Place in Bayside and Engine 328 at 19-19 Central Ave. in Far Rockaway.
In response to the protest, Marc LaVorgna, spokesman for the mayor’s office, said the closings are necessary given the “historic reduction in aid” in the state budget passed this April, of which he said state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and state Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (D-Ridgewood), both of whom were at the protest, laid at the city’s feet.
“That is the major factor driving the need for budget cuts,” LaVorgna said.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy and Uniformed Fire Officers Association President Al Hagan also rallied to save the firehouse Friday.
Firefighters and civic leaders chanted “Save our Firehouse!” and held up signs reading “Don’t Burn Blissville!” and “We’re Sitting Ducks W/Out [without] our Truck.”
“I think it’s a tremendous show of solidarity,” de Blasio said of the rally.
An FDNY report said closing the firehouse could delay arrival times for first responders to a fire by more than a minute. Electeds said this was too much for an area that is rapidly growing in population. Ladder 128 services the neighborhoods of Blissville, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside and Greenpoint in Brooklyn.
“Ladder 128 was here saving this community when it was just commercial,” said Maloney. “The importance of 128 has become more important because more people live here. More people need to be protected.”
The city had planned to close 20 firehouses last year, although the fiscal year 2011 budget ended up restoring funds for all firehouses.
“Unfortunately, we’re at it again,” Crowley, chairwoman of the Council Fire and Criminal Justice Committee, said. “Our mayor, he just doesn’t get it.”
Cassidy slammed Bloomberg for his decision, saying the administration should stop spending money on bike lanes, pedestrian plazas and consultants such as those who allegedly stole $80 million while working on the CityTime project, which was meant to track city employees’ hours.
“The Bloomberg administration has lost their way, and it’s up to us to put them back on track,” Cassidy said.
In response to claims of increased deaths and response times, LaVorgna said the Fire Department has managed to drive deaths and response times down to record-lows despite six firehouses closing in 2003.
“We have found ways to do more with less here,” LaVorgna said.
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
