EMS Station Moving Into Old Firehouse;

EMS Station Moving Into Old Firehouse

By ARI PAUL

A new Emergency Medical Service station will open where Ladder Company 39 used to be based in the Woodlawn section of The Bronx, the Fire Department announced Aug. 15.

PATRICK BAHNKEN: 'Thrilled' by new quarters. The firefighters moved less than a mile from their 243 East 233rd St. location last June "because of the structural deterioration of the century-old firehouse," according to a statement from the Mayor's office. The move aroused concern in the community.

Modernized Facility

The department said Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics and EMS officers from three nearby stations will move into the station. The conversion to a "state-of-the-art" facility with a kitchen, bathrooms and a decontamination room will cost about $12.4 million. The department hopes that the new facility will improve EMS supervision.

The FDNY did not announce a date when the Woodlawn EMS facility will begin operations. The department claimed that at its new location in the past year, Ladder 39's average travel time to structural fires has decreased, but that travel time to Woodlawn had increased by an average of five seconds.

THOMAS EPPINGER: 'Getting a hand-me-down.' "A top priority for the Fire Department is to provide the most effective emergency response in the most efficient manner," Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said in a statement. "The relocation of Ladder Company 39 has allowed our firefighters to respond to more emergencies than ever before, and a new EMS facility will help our EMTs and Paramedics restock medical supplies so they can hit the streets faster and do what they do best - save lives."

The Uniformed Firefighters Association was concerned, however, that Ladder 39's permanent move would adversely affect response times.

"We are disappointed and support the community which has sought to maintain the facility as a firehouse," said Eddie Brown, the UFA's Bronx trustee. "We are still concerned about Ladder 39's response time to the community of Woodlawn."

Patrick J. Bahnken, president of Uniformed EMTs and Paramedics Local 2507 of District Council 37, praised the announcement and was confident the department would adequately renovate the facility.

'Mayor's Investing in Us'

"They are consolidating the resources," Mr. Bahnken said. "I am absolutely thrilled that the Mayor of the City of New York continues to invest into the Emergency Medical Service infrastructure. By all means we believe that this will certainly allow us to better serve the people in that area."

Thomas Eppinger, president of Uniformed EMS Officers Union Local 3621 of DC 37, had mixed feelings about the development. He believed there has not been enough space for officers at existing EMS stations, but he lamented that the idea of EMS workers moving into a place that was deemed unfit for firefighters typified the second-class status he felt his members have had since EMS became a part of the Fire Department in 1996.

"Why should we be getting the hand-me-downs?" Mr. Eppinger asked. "That's the way it feels."