An early morning fire on City Island has sparked controversy over the FDNY's plan to close some firehouses. Ladder Company 53 responded in less than two minutes, but later this month it is slated to close overnights due to budget cuts. The FDNY says the next nearest units responded within nine minutes.

Opponents of the plan say the fire, which destroyed a building and killed several pets, proves the Fire Department should cut costs another way.

I know the city has to cut costs, and each agency has to do its part, but cutting safety services really should not be an option -- not even a last resort. Mayor Bloomberg keeps saying we won't go back to the days of the 70s when crime went up, services went down and graffiti covered everything. But who's going to prevent the city from falling into neglect, disrepair, crime and squalor if not the firefighters and police officers?

The fire on City Island is a perfect example of why the Fire Department shouldn't close any units. If the least active company in the city (according to the fire department) has a fire like this, then why would they want to close it and more active companies?

Paul from Staten Island

No, the FDNY feels that it should always be protected. They have not diversified their work force and their work rules in the union contract are shameful. If they keep the firehouse open at night then they have to give up some of their work rules that cost the city millions. (and they still should get more blacks and latinos there. I know some firemen and it is truly a white suburban boys club.

Rich
Midtown East

WE ARE AT THREAT LEVEL ORANGE. WHAT OTHER STATE IS AT THAT LEVEL?. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD THINK POLICE CUTBACKS, FIRE CUTBACKS AND EMERGENCY CUTBACKS SHOULD BE THE OPPOSITE. THERE ARE FEDERAL MONIES WHEN THESE ALERTS ARE IN PLACE. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY? RESTORE THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO FULL OPERATIONS IMMEDIATELY, OR BORROW A FEW BUCKS OFF OF QUINN"S IMAGINARY CHARITIES.

JOE
BAY TERRACE

The city is going to downsize the firehouses, they are luck that the two houses are close together. They have closed houses in Staten Island where the wait time can be 15-20 minutes

tom
richmondtown

This fire has not changed my opinion I hope it shall change Bloomberg's and his appointee Scopetta's! It is a disgrace to cut where public safety is in jeopardy. It is at least callous.

Joseph from Sunnyside

my cousin simmy kept his boat in City island for years. In Simmy's memory, City Island needs its own ladder company-mabye this will make Quinn's clowns do the right thing as well as their civic duty. and while were on the subject- i digress slightly :Is there any city planning in this venue-5000 drug chains and no supermarkets all due to the bottom line.

John
Kissena Park

Firefighters have lived for years off self promotion of fear and the over inflated protection they provide, which in many cases is not even once in a lifetime for most citizens. Compare the frequency and need for firefighters as to Police and EMS.

Firefighters continue to use the legacy, much like Rudy Giuliani, of a noun, a verb and 9/11. Left out is the fact that they were as much a hinderance on 9/11 as a help, clogging stairways and preventing others from escaping, failing to realize where their assistance became counterproductive. Worse yet is the needless loss of Firefighters' lives battling fires where they should have never entered the premises.

It is also hard to feign any sympathy for a group of workers mostly comprised of a frat boy mentality, so much to the point one stationhouse in Staten Island was named "Animal House." The city has been overwhelmed with drunken and lewd behavior from this segment of the civilian workforce.

The city needs to survey which neighborhoods have the most exposure to possible fires and start reducing or terminating service in other areas.

David
Lakewood NJ

We live near City Island and visit the many restaurants and shops on a regular basis. I think the plan the FDNY has regarding closing the fire department on City Island at night is ridiculous! Most of the fires I've ever read about or seen on TV takes place late at night or in the early hours of the morning. These homes are not made of brick, but of wood. Many of the homes and businesses are old structures, giving them their "quaintness". It's stupid to not have a 24-hour a day open fire house.

The other big problem is that there is only one way in and one way out of City Island. It is extremely unsafe for anyone needing to get in or out of the Island in a hurry. The streets are narrow and some people just don't know how to drive on City Island. This place is a beautiful, well kept secret of the Bronx, and we'd like to keep it that way.

The FDNY and NYPD should be exempt from any cutbacks at all. Let the city council take a cut in salary! Save City Island! Save the FDNY and NYPD. We NEED them!

Dina and Ed of Throggs Neck

The fire department is closing some fire houses and others are being closed overnite which I find quite troubling and what could prove to be a tragic and costly mistake in terms of lives and property. Our Bravest represent essential services that protect New Yorkers from harm. My question to the city is this, have we not learned anything from the attacks on 9/11 ? The 343 firemen who died on that day must be rolling over in their graves.

Freddy
Glen Oaks Village, N.Y.

If that fire department on City Isle is so infrequently called out at night, wouldn't it be cheaper for the city to close it and go door to door to make electrical systems safe and do fire safety education to make the risk next to zero?

Rob
Gramercy

I don't think they should close down the ladder ...I think its needed as a resident from City Island it is something we really need to stay safe and secure.

Jeremy from City Island

This fire house should not be closed at all, the people live on an island that only has one way in and one way out.
Where are all of the suits that we never see nor hear from.,
This Vacco, Carrion and Klein, they only come out to make short statements after the fact.
They all have to go, this is enough of all of these people abusing us time and time again.
If I'm not mistaken I think Carrion lives on the Island.
None of them in the whole city should be closed at all.

Maxxiee
Morris Park

This is very upsetting. The fire department is across the street from me and not only are the firefighter's hours being cut from their paycheck, but the neighborhood is now that much less safe.

Best,
Sara
Bushwick

the next thing that will happen is only rich neighborhoods will have 24 fire protection service.

Eugene
East Harlem

the city should not be thinking about closing a firehouse

"Small 61"

If they are going to continue to close them-then they should allow
organized volunteer units to protect their neighborhoods-like Nassau
county.

Mike B.

Closing firehouses, raising the cost of public school education, charging for plastic shopping bags, etc., are clear signs that our politicians plan to ride out this recession on the backs of the working classes.

Meanwhile, our precious dollars get thrown away for the new Yankee stadium (so they can pay their new 1st baseman $180 million dollars for 8 seasons of work). Or, on a smaller scale, but none-the-less odious, the city pays $4 million dollars to rename the Kennedy bridge, all to pave the way for an inexperienced socialite (who shares the name, of course) to be appointed (not elected) our next Senator.

Funny, how the money's there when it serves political interests, but rarely available when it could serve the public good.

Here's a simple solution that you won't hear, even from our President-elect (any more): tax the wealthy. It can always be repealed when our country is healthy.

-Max in Queens