Reader Submission: Holme Circle fights to keep Engine 18 open

Scores of Holme Circle residents participated in two protests on Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. and Oct. 27 at 4:30 p.m. at the Engine 18 firehouse at Pennypack Circle to voice their concern of the Fire Department’s new “brown out” policy.

Engine 18 is among three in Northeast Philadelphia affected by the city administration’s budgetary maneuver, which closes each of the designated firehouses for a 10-hour shift every five days for approximately 72 times per year.  In distributing hundreds of pamphlets to motorists at the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Holme Avenue on both occasions, the group maintains that the rolling closings of these fire houses presents a risk to area residents, the many patients at neighboring Nazareth Hospital and also retirement/rehabiliatation homes  (Immaculate Mary, Deer Meadows, Glendale Uptown, Angela Jane Pavilion, Harmony Place, etc.), and to the firefighters themselves.

Community members also attended City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting focusing on this issue held Oct. 19th in City Hall to present their testimony, which was entered into the committee’s official hearing record.

Community members encourage their neighbors to contact Mayor Nutter at 215-686-2181, Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers at 215-686-1300 and Councilwoman Joan Krajewski at 215-686-3444 to voice their protest on this public safety issue. Councilmembers-at-large should be contacted also:

Blondell Reynolds Brown, 215-686-3438

William Greenlee, 215-686-3446

Wilson Goode Jr., 215-686-3414

Jack Kelly, 215-686-3452

James Kenny, 215-686-3450

Bill Green, 215-686-3420

Frank Rizzo, 215-686-3440

Elsie Stevens lives in Holme Circle and is a member of the 8th PDAC. You can read all her contributions to NEast Philly here.

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