Station 1 is First Yonkers Firehouse to be Built in 40 Years
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today joined local city officials and members of the Yonkers Fire Department in the dedication and opening of the Department’s new firehouse, Station 1, located at 25 John Street. The $15 million project is the first firehouse to be built in Yonkers since 1980 and will service Tower Ladder 71 and the department’s Rescue Company.
“Today is a proud day in our city as we celebrate the newest addition to our fire department,” said Mayor Spano. “Serving as the most active house in the city, Station 1’s location combined with its state of the art equipment and accommodations will compliment Yonkers firefighters’ continuous efforts to protect and serve our city. Thank you to all those who made this day possible — from our fire members and City Council to our engineers and architects. I am confident Station 1 will fulfill Yonkers Fire Department’s proud commitment to the core values of integrity, valor, loyalty and dedication for generations to come.”
Station 1 stands as a four-bay, two-story, steel framed building with a lower level parking area. Totaling approximately 22,500 square feet, the building on the first floor contains firematic support spaces adjacent to the apparatus bay, an exercise room, a day room with kitchen, company officer’s office, watch booth and associated mechanical spaces. The second floor contains personnel lockers and sleeping quarters for on-duty members, including female officer sleeping quarters.
The firehouse is designed with a clean and distinct separation between the apparatus bay/fire side and the living quarters. The exterior is finished with masonry, metal panel and glass. An onsite fuel station provides fuel for fire trucks and city vehicles. All lighting, both interior and exterior, is set with LED fixtures and an emergency generator will provide 100% power backup. Mechanical systems include rooftop units, radiant floor heating system and a heat recovery unit with energy conservation in mind.
Yonkers Fire Commissioner Robert Sweeney stated, “Today is a great day for the Yonkers Fire Department and the citizens we serve. This new state of the art facility will quarter Yonkers Fire Units for the next hundred years plus, increasing public safety both in this community and citywide.”
The Tower Ladder and Rescue Company were relocated in 2015 after the original Station 1 was condemned and closed due to unsafe building conditions and was deemed economically beyond repair. Components of the old Station 1 were included in the construction of the new station, including a mural, bricks and exterior rosettes that are mounted in the apparatus bay.
Also included in the construction of the new firehouse is the dedication of a firefighter’s memorial which is comprised of five historic church bells that once rang at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, which burnt down in 1981, and then were later housed at St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Yonkers. The City also plans to bury a time capsule at the foot of the bell tower, which is filled with Yonkers memorabilia, including equipment and artifacts from the Yonkers Fire Department and Yonkers Public Schools.
For this project, Highland Associates served as the Lead Architect, Mitchell Associates Architects served as the Firehouse Specialists and Langan Engineers served as the Site Engineer. Station 1 is expected to be fully operational in January 2020.
