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Monday, January 5, 2009
City fire companies closed

Inquirer staff writer Jeff Shields reports:

Seven fire companies were closed this Monday morning and 130 firefighters were reassigned to other companies throughout the city, fireighters union chief Brian McBride said.

Local 22 of the International Association of Firefighters has tried to block the closures through the courts, saying the action would put firefighters and the public in jeopardy. But the union lost the first two rounds in lower courts this week, and are hoping for a favorable ruling on their appeal to the state Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the five engine companies and two ladder companies have been deactivated.

Now five different stations are without the ability to put out a fire, because there are no engines -- "no water," McBride said "They might as well be libraries without books."

No comment yet from the Nutter administration, which has taken the position that firehouses will work in tandem to provide proper firefighting and rescue capability.

The closures come as the city tries to close a budget gap.

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.
Posted by Inquirer Online Desk @ 3:21 PM  Permalink | 39 comments
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Comments
Posted by Landfill 03:28 PM, 01/05/2009
I hope none of these are in my neighborhood. Maybe we can turn them into pubs just like Dock Street!
Posted by thebaron 03:49 PM, 01/05/2009
Tell me how libraries stay open, but Fire Depts close? It comes down to same ole Philly politics. Mayor Nutter should be ashmaed of himself. The city has lived fat on the wage taxes, never trying to make ends meet. Why not cut the overpaid staff that he has? His staff is paid millions more than former Mayor Streets staff. This is why this city is third rate.
Comment removed.
Posted by littleonions 04:08 PM, 01/05/2009
I think one of them is in my neighborhood near a school and a daycare center. When there was an arson fire at the daycare center a couple of years ago (yes, with kids inside) that was the company that came in moments. I do not get the procedures either for closing one department but not another. I think that our beloved Eagles and Phillies ought to look in their books to see if they owe us any money and fork it over. Let's look at property tax abatements also. There have to be more places where they can plug money leaks. This is what Depression feels like, boys and girls.
Posted by Dr. Martin von Nostrand 04:10 PM, 01/05/2009
Hey Baron, libraries stayed open because of a court order. Know what you commenting about before you post something next time.
Posted by nubian0328 04:20 PM, 01/05/2009
the mayor of philly is a crackpot.... he needs to go back to whereever he came from....
Posted by NETACONY 04:23 PM, 01/05/2009
They need to look at other departments in the city. One of the local TV stations did a report about a Water Dept. employee needed city owned car to go to and from work just for the off chance he may have to go in the field. Which came out to about once a year.
Posted by fbpdplt 04:27 PM, 01/05/2009
Books burn too! Again the priorties are backwards in Phila! Libraries are more important than a Firehouse...because as we all know ..who needs firefighters and Fire houses ...until we need them!
Posted by southphilly 04:28 PM, 01/05/2009
Dr. Martin von Nostrand - the point that thebaron was making was the judge should have granted the order to have the fire stations open, as they are just better yet more important than the libraries. I am sure the library and fire station in Nutter's neighborhood will remain open. We wouldn't want to put Elmo and the rest of Sesame Street in jeopardy. It's a shame One term Nutter is really hitting us where it hurts!!!!
Posted by DLTPhilly 04:30 PM, 01/05/2009
Baron...if this City is third rate, it's because of the previous administration. You need good, smart people to run a City smarter, faster and better. If the Mayor wasn't closing libraries and fire companies, something else would have to go and then those people would be irate with him. Like littleonions said, this is what a depression feels like folks. It's going to hurt at first, but on the other end, we'll come out stronger.
Posted by thelastRepublicaninPhilly 04:32 PM, 01/05/2009
Beefy_Issues from the www.iaff22.org website...Engine 1, 6, 8, 14, 39 Ladder 1, 11 are closing.
Posted by Sam Pileggi 04:36 PM, 01/05/2009
These closing won't hurt at all. There are way too many fire houses for the number of people in this city. At some point this city and its citizens have to learn that it's okay to change, that there are times when it's necessary.
Posted by beerman37 04:41 PM, 01/05/2009
Mayor Moron, hard at work as usual!!
Posted by SueBoo 04:52 PM, 01/05/2009
Hey Little - I'm not sure about the Phillies, but the Eagles owe the City MILLIONS of dollars. And if we collected just ONE TENTH of what deadbeat property owners in Philly owe in real estate taxes, there would be no budget crisis. Always the same problem, no matter what department - police, revenue, L&I, all of them - NO ENFORCEMENT.
Posted by Rudykizuty 04:54 PM, 01/05/2009
Sam P.....you make it sound as if you did a study on the matter......which we all know is a load of horsebleep. So....on what basis can you make such as statement?
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