JERSEY CITY– Today, Commissioner and candidate for Jersey City Mayor Bill O’Dea and Council-at-Large candidate Kristen Zadroga Hart released the following joint statement regarding the closure of the firehouse located on Newark Avenue.
“As of today, the firehouse located at 355 Newark Avenue, known as the Consolidated Firehouse, has been closed due to health and safety concerns. The health and safety of our first responders is paramount. Until a proper determination can be made regarding any environmental hazards in the Newark Avenue firehouse, the city is doing the correct thing by temporarily closing the house.
However, the city needs to expeditiously bring in an environmental expert to assess the second floor and the first floor and bring in trailers to temporarily replace second floor space. The city has an obligation to make sure the residents have an adequate amount of fire protection for that area. Case in point, Engine 10 on Halladay Street has been "temporarily" closed since 2018 leaving the residents in that neighborhood with inadequate fire protection. I am calling upon the administration to do the right thing for both the residents and our first responders by remediating any issues as quickly as possible.
In the interim, to ensure proper fire protection in the area, the city should make arrangements to obtain temporary quarters adjacent to the firehouse as outlined above so Battalion 1, Engine 1, Engine 5 and Ladder 2 can remain open for responses and protect the residents and businesses in that area.”