Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

How can the city consider closing even ONE FDNY Firehouse after all they have sacrificed for us?!

Our sister stations, WCBS-TV AND 1010 WINS are reporting there is a list of firehouses slated for closing, including Engine 271 in Bushwick, Ladder Co 53 on City Island and Engine 4 at the South Street Seaport.

As a New Yorker, and more importantly, as the son of a New York City firefighter, I just can’t fathom this. Not only does it put the neighborhoods covered by these firehouses at risk, but it also affects the character of the neighborhoods they serve.

As a kid, my dad used to take me down to his firehouse on Canal and Allan streets in lower Manhattan (pictured here). He drove the huge hook and ladder through the tiny streets of Chinatown without ever getting into an accident. It was like driving a tractor trailer through the eye of a needle. The thing that really impressed me, even as a kid, was how the neighborhood embraced these men (in those days, it was only men) as not only protectors of their lives and property, but also as a place where they could go for any kind of help. These men were embraced by the Asian community and none of the firemen were of Asian descent. The people in the neighborhood would bring them food, knit them scarves, and invite them to family celebrations.

[photogallerylink id=33409]

How many times did people stop into the firehouse with car trouble coming off the Manhattan bridge? They were never turned away.

I realize how city budgets must be met, but not at the expense of the safety of any New York City neighborhood and the men and women who risk their lives every day as part of the FDNY.

What are YOUR thoughts on this? Is it a good idea to cut lifesavers? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!