#mvfd

Mount Vernon — Just days after the Fulton Avenue Fire Station was closed for the day, due to shortage of manpower, fire broke out on the corner of Fulton Avenue and Third Street. With the debate of the city of Mount Vernon abusing the Westchester Mutual Aid and despite Mayor Davis calling firefighters, ‘Car Polishers’, firefighters from Pelham Manor, Greenville, Yonkers, and Eastchester, assisted Mount Vernon firefighters at the scene this afternoon.

The blaze, which heavily damaged Faith Temple Worship Center at 204 S. Fulton Ave. was first knocked down just before 10 a.m., about half an hour after it broke out. Multiple departments responded to the rekindled fire around 1 p.m. and it was still burning approaching 3 p.m, reported Lohud.

The three-alarm fire was reported just after 9 a.m. near South Fulton and East Third streets, and it reportedly gutted much of the church which is located in a commercial strip. Smoke from the morning fire also damaged a corner deli and a jewelry store on either side of the place of worship.

In response to the Fulton and Third Street fire in Mt. Vernon, NY, Councilman and Mayoral candidate Richard Thomas released the following statement: “The bravery of the Mt. Vernon Firefighters and surrounding areas is on full display, dousing a rekindled blaze during a hot and humid summer day,” said Thomas. “Luckily lives have been spared, but the church, popular corner deli, and other businesses have temporarily lost their home. If this happened when the Davis administration closed the Fulton Firehouse last week, the situation could have been much worse. This fire is another example why Mt. Vernon needs leaders who respect emergency service personnel, particularly our firefighters, and support them with the equipment and manpower to bolster their safety and creates a more robust public safety environment,” added Thomas.

Last Tuesday, July 14th, Thomas joined by union officials including, Yonkers Fire Union President Barry McGoey, held a press conference in front of the Fulton Ave Station to discuss how one of the three fire stations in Mt Vernon being closed could put lives in danger.

Mayor Ernie Davis called the temporary, unofficial closing of the Fulton Street firehouse on Tuesday a publicity stunt coordinated by his political opponents and “rogue” fire union members, reported Lohud.

Davis went on to say in the article the situation was choreographed. If the lights were turned out, he said, it wasn’t an administration decision, “The firehouse was not closed,” he said. “It’s as simple as that. Somebody’s playing unholy games.”

Former Mayor Clinton Young, who is also running for to regain the mayoral seat and has been quiet on every issue publicly until now, said he felt the firehouse only reopened because of the scrutiny on the closure. Young also denied anyone was exaggerating the city’s public safety issues, “That is the No. 1 responsibility of the mayor to keep the city safe,” he told Lohud.

“As Mayor, I would ensure that the Mt. Vernon Fire Department has what it needs to battle blazes in our backyard and discontinue the abuse of mutual aid which jeopardizes residents of Mt. Vernon and neighboring areas,” Thomas who showed up at the scene with cases of water to keep the firefighters hydrated in the heat, tells BW.

The bottom-line here is the Mount Vernon Fire Department is sorely under staffed as has been stated by Thomas, Young and members of MVFD, who would like to remain anonymous because of what they called a retaliatory measure being taken against them from City Hall for months now. We as Mount Vernon residents can not allow the politicians to continue to play with fire at our expense.

We can not allow the Fire Department to be used as a campaign stunt to get our vote or deter us from voting for another candidate, but must use or power to vote to demand our Fire Departments and hardworking firefighters get what they need to be able to keep us safe with out other communities having to come to our rescue endangering themselves to bail us out. While the candidates are campaigning make sure you ask the tough questions and demand answers, and then make an informed decision.

It was reported that four firefighters suffered primarily heat-related injuries. No other injuries were reported, and what cities the firefighters were from that got injured was not reported by time we ran the story.