The City Island Firehouse once again appears to face potential closure. Therefore last night, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined City Council Member Jimmy Vacca and more than 100 residents of City Island to protest the proposed closure of Ladder 53, the firehouse located on City Island.

This is the fourth straight year that a mayoral budget has proposed eliminating Ladder 53 on City Island. If Ladder 53 were to close, it would take the next-nearest ladder company over ten minutes to respond to an emergency, if neither of the two drawbridges leading onto the island were raised.

It was abundantly clear that every one of those City Islanders, who attended last night Town Hall Meeting strongly opposed Mayor Bloomberg's latest proposal to close down 20 NYFD ladder companies, especially City Island's Ladder #53. This is the fourth year of Bloomberg's budget dance threatening to eliminate funds from the city's fire department operating budget.

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Today, NYC Councilman James Vacca and the City Island Civic Association are protesting NY Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed budget cuts which could result in the closure of 20 fire companies citywide, probably including City Island’s Ladder Company 53, as early as July 1, 2012.

Although FDNY has yet to disclose the specific companies on the chopping block, City Island’s only ladder company has been slated for closure during the past four years.

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