Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Congressman Eliot Engel, City Council Member Oliver Koppell, State Senator Jeffrey Klein, and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr. are outraged to learn that the Woodlawn Firehouse will be closing in May. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) notified the local elected officials to announce that Ladder 39’s firehouse will be receiving a 45 day notice tomorrow. In May Ladder 39 will be temporarily relocated to Engine 63 in Wakefield.

Woodlawn is a geographically isolated community, surrounded by Woodlawn Cemetery, the Major Deegan Expressway, Yonkers, and the Bronx River Parkway. Closing this Firehouse will undoubtedly lead to a significant increase in response time. Woodlawn is also in close proximity to the water filtration plant that is currently under construction in Van Cortlandt Park. In case of an emergency at that location, the Woodlawn Heights Firehouse would be the first to respond. This only emphasizes how important the firehouse is to the safety of the community.

“Closing the Woodlawn firehouse is irresponsible and reckless on the part of the New York City Fire Department. Response times will skyrocket once the firehouse is closed. The likelihood of lives being lost in a fire will increase dramatically. The Fire Department needs to build a new firehouse in Woodlawn and provide a temporary firehouse in Woodlawn while the new one is being built,” said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.