Yorktown Heights FD Plans To Expand Station 2

[FF402 133]

From the YHFD official Facebook page:

Yorktown Heights Volunteer FD

We here at the Yorktown Heights Volunteer Fire Deparment would like to remind all Yorktown Heights Fire District residents to please attend the public information meeting that will be held by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Yorktown Heights Fire District, at Station #2, located at 794 Locksley Rd.,Yorktown Heights, NY, on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. for the purpose of: 1) presenting plans for the second story addition to Station #2, 794 Locksley Rd, 2) the anticipated $1,500,000 reconstruction bond referendum for the construction of the second story addition to Station #2.

We urge all Yorktown Heights Fire District residents to please attend this meeting to hear the information about this bond and see why this is really needed. The roof at Station 2 leaks constantly and needs to be replaced. Our Volunteers are forced to sleep in a small room on couches, surplus army cots and even the floor during stand-by's for snow storms and other emergency situations; for instance, during and after the events of Hurricane Sandy when our Volunteers were out day and night during the storm and the days following to protect the people of this town.

So we ask all of our supporters to please stop by the public information meeting, hear why it's needed, see the building for yourself and meet some of the volunteers that give up so much to protect the people of this town. This bond will help maintain the level of service our ALL VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS provide to the Yorktown Heights Fire District residents. Being a volunteer company saves the Yorktown Fire District's taxpayers millions of dollars every year! Please share this status with your friends and come out on Tuesday November 25, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. We need your support!

[x635 4,066]

I'm glad to hear this news, and I hope this bond measure passes. Station 2 is overcrowded, cramped, unsafe, and obsolete for modern YHFD operations.

I also hope that they are able to replace their headquarters in the next few years. That's even more cramped and more obsolete.

[fireboyny 61]

Only problem with replacing, or renovating their HQ is that it is actually owned by the Engine Company. While I have been inside, and realize how outdated and cramped it is, unless they can get financing, I feel that their only other option is to sell the building to the district,.which would be a poor decision, as the company would loose all sources of collateral, as well as a major piece of income.

Will be interesting to see how this turns out. Anyone know if they will be able to keep all the apparatus inside and in service during construction? Seems like if they can't, they would need to setup some sort of temporary or rental structure to house them, whether it's behind their HQ, or at the controversial site of their proposed substation.

[Dinosaur 844]

Is this in addition to building another station on 134 in Millwood?

[Dinosaur 844]

Only problem with replacing, or renovating their HQ is that it is actually owned by the Engine Company. While I have been inside, and realize how outdated and cramped it is, unless they can get financing, I feel that their only other option is to sell the building to the district,.which would be a poor decision, as the company would loose all sources of collateral, as well as a major piece of income.

Will be interesting to see how this turns out. Anyone know if they will be able to keep all the apparatus inside and in service during construction? Seems like if they can't, they would need to setup some sort of temporary or rental structure to house them, whether it's behind their HQ, or at the controversial site of their proposed substation.

Are you saying that the district rents the firehouse from the fire company?

Where's the logic in that? Sounds like questionable business and a way to siphon tax payer dollars into an unaccountable black hole.

[fireboyny 61]

Is this in addition to building another station on 134 in Millwood?

No, it's currently vacent land owned by

the Yorktown fire district. This has been subject to criticism, because there have been many elections regarding funding of this station and it has always been turned down, with the district always attempting to make changes to get approval for alternative forms of funding.

Edited November 28, 2014 by fireboyny

[Dinosaur 844]

No, it's currently vacent land owned by

the Yorktown fire district. This has been subject to criticism, because there have been many elections regarding funding of this station and it has always been turned down, with the district always attempting to make changes to get approval for alternative forms of funding.

Are they still pursuing the construction of the new station or are they using those funds to renovate the existing station 2?

[Morningjoe 162]

Looking at their website and their 2015 budget,

http://www.yorktownfire.org/content/notice/Final%20Budget%202015.pdf

the funds for station 3 are earmarked for only that, so it would be illegal to move the money for any other purposes, such as renovation of station 2.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Morningjoe

[Ladder44 73]

Under the budget, first item is annual inspection. Is that DOT, pump test, ladder test ect?

[Dinosaur 844]

Under the budget, first item is annual inspection. Is that DOT, pump test, ladder test ect?

Or is that the big party where they go out of service for the night, get covered by mutual aid, and eat a big dinner with the chief's of neighboring departments?

[fireboyny 61]

Or is that the big party where they go out of service for the night, get covered by mutual aid, and eat a big dinner with the chief's of neighboring departments?

You hit the nail right on the head!

[AFS1970 504]

Under the budget, first item is annual inspection. Is that DOT, pump test, ladder test ect?

I am going to guess that since it is Inspections plural, it is those tests.

Now since I don;t come from an area that has the annual inspection dinners and I don;t fully understand their history, I may be off base here with my next comment. I wish we had had some sort of annual event where everyone had to appear in their Class A uniform because the morning of a parade (or worse a funeral) is not when you need to find out someone does not know where their necktie is, or someone doesn't like all that "military stuff" so chose not to bring collar brass. If the end result is an awards banquet then so be it, but I don;t think the concept is bad. I just wish more departments would staff their own stand-by crews for these nights instead of using neighboring departments.

[fireboyny 61]

afs1970, It just shouldn't come from taxpayer money.

[Dinosaur 844]

I am going to guess that since it is Inspections plural, it is those tests.

Now since I don;t come from an area that has the annual inspection dinners and I don;t fully understand their history, I may be off base here with my next comment. I wish we had had some sort of annual event where everyone had to appear in their Class A uniform because the morning of a parade (or worse a funeral) is not when you need to find out someone does not know where their necktie is, or someone doesn't like all that "military stuff" so chose not to bring collar brass. If the end result is an awards banquet then so be it, but I don;t think the concept is bad. I just wish more departments would staff their own stand-by crews for these nights instead of using neighboring departments.

It isn't inspections plural in their budget. Singular, as in inspection.

[fireboyny 61]

I called the district Secretary, the funds are reserved for an "annual open inspection and recruitment day", in other words, a sh**ton of taxpayer money for a party.

Love the guys at YHFD, but I think the district has nerve to ask for funding when they waste 15k for a party.

[Remember585 815]

I called the district Secretary, the funds are reserved for an "annual open inspection and recruitment day", in other words, a sh**ton of taxpayer money for a party.

Love the guys at YHFD, but I think the district has nerve to ask for funding when they waste 15k for a party.

The budget goes before the residents of the Fire District to be approved, right (third Tuesday of October)? So if the residents approve it, and then approve this added proposition to fund the more then necessary work to Station 2, it's really a non-issue. The voters have the right to question anything in a proposed budget, and have the ability to vote in or vote out Commissioners if they choose, and they also have the ability to vote for or against the proposition for the firehouse project.

So it isn't about the guys at YHFD having the "nerve" to ask for funding for something that is needed. They're following the law and doing everything by the book with full transparency, from what I can tell.

[fireboyny 61]

http://www.lohud.com/story/money/personal-finance/taxes/david-mckay-wilson/2014/12/05/fire-districts-seek-millions-bond-referenda/19914319/

[x635 4,066]

Per the official Yorktown Heights FD page, the bond has unofficially passed:

Station 2 167-159