Locals, lawmakers push to reopen Long Island City firehouse

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - As Long Island City’s real estate market continues to prosper, locals are arguing that the need for emergency services is growing.

However, plans to reopen Engine Company 261, which was located on 29th Street and served the community until 2003 were canceled after Amazon backed out of a deal to open its second headquarters in Queens. 

A spokesperson for the FDNY told FOX 5 NY: “Right now there are no plans to reopen Engine 261. The Fire Department monitors every community in the city, and our fire and emergency services resources serve every community.”

Ladder and engine companies work together to put out fires and are usually housed in the same building, but in this case, Ladder 116 and its closest counterpart, Engine 260, run separately, roughly a half-mile apart from one another.

Now, with an estimated 10,600 new apartments to be built over the next two years, city lawmakers are calling on the FDNY to reconsider.

In the past, Engine 261 responded to events on nearby Roosevelt Island, which currently does not have an active firehouse. Mayor De Blasio’s office told FOX 5 NY that the island has additional resources in place in the event they are needed for an emergency.