A Sincere Thank You to Our Community!
About Our Project
The Yorktown Heights Fire District has proposed the construction of a new fire station to better serve the growing needs of the community. This proposed fire station will replace the existing Commerce Street firehouse and will be built for apparatus of today and well into the future. The proposed facility will provide improved emergency response capabilities, modernized equipment, sufficient storage, and enhanced training space for the department’s dedicated volunteers.
Our Fire District is a small and sometimes overlooked entity in the town, but provides vital, life-saving services. Our members volunteer their time to provide fire protection within the Town of Yorktown and in some instances beyond. Our budget routinely accounts for just a small fraction of taxpayers’ total tax bill. As the town continues to grow and develop, the needs of the fire district and firefighters will continue to evolve. The proposed fire station is a generational project, designed to serve the needs of the district for the next 50 years and beyond. To finance this project, the Fire District intends to submit a bond resolution to the voters. Our proud agency and dedicated firefighters want to continue providing the highest quality fire protection and community engagement possible. The proposed new fire station is designed to make that possible.
“Our current fire station has served us well, but it no longer can accommodate modern firefighting apparatus and does not meet the demands of our community and evolving emergency response needs,” said Chief Paul Liberatore, Chief of the Yorktown Heights Engine Company No. 1. “A new facility will allow us to operate and respond more efficiently to emergencies, improve firefighter safety, and ensure we continue providing the highest level of service to our residents.”
The proposed fire station will feature an updated infrastructure, with much-needed space for modern fire apparatus and equipment. It will also include dedicated training areas to ensure firefighters remain well-prepared for a variety of emergency situations.
The Fire District will be holding a public information meeting in July 22, 2025 7:00 pm at the Fire House, 1916 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights. There the public will be able to tour the existing building and view the plans for the new firehouse and discuss the proposal. We encourage community members to attend these meetings and share their thoughts. This fire station is an investment in public safety, and we want to ensure it best meets the needs of our town.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT A PUBLIC HEARING will be held on Tuesday August 19, 2025. commencing at 7:00 p.m. at the Fire Station located at 1916 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, in the Town of Yorktown, State of New York, before the Yorktown Heights Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners.
Please take notice that a special meeting of the Yorktown Heights Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners will be held on the 26th day of August 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at Station #1,
1916 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, New York, on topics relating to construction projects, including consideration of public comments received in connection with the public hearing commenced on August 19, 2025 and continued on August 26, 2025, SEQRA compliance, and a bond resolution. This Notification is being given to the news media pursuant to the provisions of Section 104(1) of the Public Officers Law of the State of New York. By order of the Board of the Fire Commissioners of the Yorktown Heights Fire District.
Our current firehouse has served us well, but it no longer can accommodate modern firefighting apparatus and does not meet the demands of our community and evolving emergency response needs
Chief Paul Liberatore,
Yorktown Heights Engine Company No. 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is being proposed?
A: The Yorktown Heights Fire District has unveiled a proposal to replace the existing fire station at 1916 Commerce Street, built in the 1950s, with a new, modern fire station. The proposed fire station will enable the Fire District to most effectively and efficiently provide emergency fire suppression and other specialized services to the community, while protecting the all-important health and safety of the 100%-volunteer fire-fighting force.
Q: What’s wrong with the current fire station?
A: The existing fire station has served the Fire District well over the last 75 years, but the challenges facing the fire service today are not the same as those from the last century. The number of residents, schools and businesses protected by the Fire District has increased dramatically since the current fire station was constructed. The all-volunteer Yorktown Heights Engine Company No. 1 provides critical services to this growing community, including not just fire suppression, but also motor vehicle extrications, water rescues, response to hazardous material (hazmat) incidents, and other public safety services. The fire apparatus and equipment required to provide these life-saving services have increased in both number and size over the years, increasing the need for space within the fire station. The proposed fire station has been specifically designed with the capacity to meet the needs of Fire District and its residents, now and in the future.
Q: Why can’t the existing apparatus bays accommodate new apparatus needs?
A: The current fire station is grossly undersized in relation to modern emergency fire apparatus, including engines, tankers, and ladder trucks. Today’s fire engines are at least 2.5x larger than a typical fire engine used seven decades ago, when the existing fire station was built. The old apparatus bays are simply too small for today’s wider, taller emergency fire vehicles. Increases in apparatus size have been driven by the manufacturers, government regulations, and the changing public safety needs of a thriving residential and business community. As a result, many current standard-size apparatus do not fit in the existing fire station at all and would require expensive customization to fit in the existing apparatus bays. The proposed fire station will allow the Fire District to adapt to changes beyond its control, while continuing to keep its apparatus fleet up-to-date, in order to best protect the public.
Q: How long has the Fire District been studying the space needs of the fire station?
A: For more than 15 years, the Yorktown Heights Fire District (YHFD), in consultation with Yorktown Heights Engine Co. No. 1 (YHEC), has devised and implemented ways to address the challenges of the changing regulatory landscape and the increasing need for space within the limited confines of the existing fire station. More recently, a joint YHFD/YHEC committee undertook a feasibility study, to determine the most effective and cost-efficient way to increase available space. Soliciting input from Fire Chiefs and Officers, as well as other local fire departments, the committee considered multiple options for renovation, addition and replacement of the existing fire station. The proposed fire station emerged as the design best suited to meet the Fire District’s present and future need for additional space, while simultaneously protecting the welfare of the volunteer firefighters, and the financial interest of the Fire District’s taxpayers.
Q: How much will the proposed fire station cost?
A: The anticipated tax increase for an average taxpayer in the Fire District will be approximately $21.12 per month. This projected amount is based on a total anticipated project cost of approximately $30 million and is calculated based on an average home assessed at $10,500.
Q: What other benefits will the proposed fire station provide?
A: In addition to the increased space for emergency apparatus, the proposed fire station is designed to facilitate Yorktown Heights Engine Company No. 1’s continued success in recruiting and retaining a top- quality, all-volunteer fire-fighting team. To that end, the proposed fire station will provide space for weekly training drills; classroom areas for Probationary
Q: How will the proposed fire station protect the health and safety of volunteer firefighters?
A: Housing today’s apparatus in the existing fire station constrains the floor space available to our volunteer firefighters to move safely through the bays when they respond to a call for help or provide needed maintenance on emergency vehicles. The proposed fire station is designed to have sufficient space for both the apparatus and the firefighters who maintain and operate them. In addition, because emergency responses present a risk of exposure to cancer-causing agents (due to burning materials, asbestos, diesel exhaust, etc.), protecting the health and safety of first responders requires appropriate space, tools and supplies for disinfecting, cleaning and storage of emergency equipment and gear. The proposed fire station will prioritize these vital health and safety concerns by providing a modern decontamination room and a safe, adequately ventilated equipment storage area. Volunteer Firefighter Training and other training programs; a turnout gear storage area to provide firefighters with designated space to suit up in response to emergency calls; radio and control rooms; office space; meeting/conference space; a fitness room; and a kitchen. The continued success of the 100%-volunteer membership model promotes cost-savings as well as community involvement and support.
Q: How will the proposed fire station ensure legal and regulatory compliance?
A: The existing fire station was built in the 1950s, prior to the existence of certain regulations, laws and industry standards which now regulate health, safety, accessibility and other issues relevant to the fire service. For example, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards are designed to reduce fire-related risks. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations aim to assure safe and healthful conditions for workers, including volunteer firefighters. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures equal access to facilities for people with disabilities. NFPA, OSHA and ADA’s legal and regulatory requirements have continued to evolve and expand over the years (including OSHA’s proposed new Emergency Response Standard, introduced in 2024). The proposed fire station is designed to be NFPA, OSHA and ADA compliant, to protect the health and safety of volunteer firefighters and the rights of all community members. Compliance also protects the financial interest of the Fire District’s taxpayers, by preventing monetary penalties, claims and costly litigation that may result from non-compliance.
Q: How will the proposed fire station impact the surrounding area?
A: The proposed fire station will replace the existing fire station, at the same location on Commerce Street. At 24,200 square feet, the proposed new fire station will be just 4,857 square feet larger than the existing fire station and barn. However, due to its strategic and thoughtful design, the proposed fire station will have the capacity to meet the projected needs of the Fire District, the volunteer firefighters, and a growing community for the foreseeable future. A SEQRA review is being conducted in coordination with other interested government agencies to proactively assess and address any potential project-related environmental issues. Further, the aesthetic design of the proposed fire station is intended to complement the design and architecture of many of the newer buildings in the downtown area and to provide an attractive gateway to Commerce Street.
Q: How long will it take to complete construction?
A: Approximately 18 months, with construction expected to start in Spring 2026. The Fire District is expected to schedule a special election in late August 2025, for the public to vote on a bond resolution to finance the project. During construction the fire-fighting apparatus will be housed in a temporary on-site facility.
Q: Who is the architect of the project?
A: The Helmes Group LLP. Based in Katonah, the company is a full service architectural and engineering firm. The firm has designed fire stations in Katonah Goldens Bridge, Granite Springs. Somers, Lincolndale, South Salem and Millwood.
Original & Proposed
+$21.12/mo
Anticipated tax increase
*Based on $10,050 Assessment
18 Month
Construction Time
100% Volunteer
Volunteer Fire-Fighting Force
116+ Years Serving Community
75
Age of Existing Firehouse
Questions?
Please send us an email at: [email protected]