Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has criticized the New York City Fire Department for deciding to close Fire House Engine 81/Ladder 46 today, Monday, September 19, 2005, from 2pm to 9pm. Engine 81/Ladder 46 was told to cover the United Nations.

This is precisely what Assemblyman Dinowitz wanted to avoid in his letter to NYC Fire Commissioner Nicolas Scoppetta sent on Friday, September 16, 2005. Assemblyman Dinowitz explained the extreme seriousness of not covering the fire house. The Assemblyman learned that Fire House Engine 81/Ladder 46 was closed last Wednesday, September 15th. There was a fire that day and, as a result of this fire house being closed, the response time was over 6 minutes. Assemblyman Dinowitz requested that the fire house not be closed on Monday, September 19, 2005.

Assemblyman Dinowitz, “I am angry that the FDNY would close the Fire House again. The Fire House was closed last Wednesday and the response time to the fire was over 6 minutes. This is unacceptable; it’s putting people’s lives in danger. Yet the Fire House is closed again today. I am not opposed to covering the UN, but do not leave this community vulnerable. This is a flawed policy that needs to be changed immediately. The FDNY is fiddling while Kingsbridge is left under-protected.”