Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn), along with many other local politicians and community leaders, voiced her concerns over budget cuts that would close Engine 271 during a rally in front of the firehouse Monday afternoon. — Photo by Diego Cupolo

Linda Kelly has lived on Wyckoff Avenue for over 60 years. She’s seen her neighborhood go through good times and bad, but nothing in recent memory has made her worry more than the city’s plan to close Engine Company 271/Ladder 124. The fire station is around the corner from her house and serves as a first responder for emergencies in both Brooklyn and Queens. 

"They’re insane to even think about closing this place. We have so many frame houses all over this neighborhood that can up in flames like that," she said while snapping her fingers.

"And none of the other firehouses are close enough to get here in time to contain those fires or help people in car accidents," Kelly added.

	Engine 271 on Himrod Street at St. Nicholas Avenue. (jag9899)

Engine 271 is one of up to 60 fire companies that might shutter on July 1, 2010, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to trim the budget in tough economic times. He argues the cuts would save the city millions, but local politicians, community leaders, and firefighters held a rally in front of the station Monday afternoon to save the threatened firehouse. 

"New York City firefighters have responded to more emergencies in the last five years than at any other time in the history of the FDNY," said Steve Cassidy, union president for the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA), adding that Engine 271 responds to about 2,500 emergencies a year.  

All the big players were on the scene, from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn), and they all had the same message: "This is a life or death decision." Each speaker repeated the phrase, saying how the closure would increase response times to emergencies in North Bushwick and Ridgewood – adding up to six minutes to the current three-minute response time. 

"Fire Engine 271 is … the difference between a house burning down and an entire block burning down," said Councilwoman Diana Reyna. 

The threat of closure is nothing new to Engine 271 as the city has considered the move many times in the past; in June, 2009, it was said the Engine was saved due to budget restructuring. Today the company’s future remains uncertain as Bloomberg simply said he plans to close between 20 and 60 undisclosed firehouses on July 1 – the beginning of the new fiscal year. Tom Butler, a spokesperson for UFA, said he expects city officials to withhold their final decisions until mid-May. 

"They’re going to hide behind the forty-five-day rule," Butler said. "They don’t have to show us anything until forty-five days before the new fiscal year so we’ll just have to wait and see."

Engline 271 celebrated its 100th year of service in 2008. In the 1970s, the company moved its kitchen from the third to the first floor in order to respond to the area’s numerous fires more quickly.