New Quarters of Marine 1 Opened

The ribbon is cut, opening the new quarters of Marine 1 in Manhattan.

A ribbon was cut on Oct. 14, officially opening the new quarters of Marine 1, a new, state-of-the-art firehouse located at Pier 53 on the Hudson River.

"This is a special day for the whole Department," said Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano. "It’s certainly an amazing building and its presence is extremely important."

The new facility, which is the only waterside firehouse in Manhattan, is 8,500 square feet and stands on a brand new pier constructed for the FDNY. It’s built to handle the needs of Marine Company 1's fireboat, the Three Forty Three, as well as the smaller vessels in the FDNY fleet.

The new firehouse allows for storage of foam and scuba gear, as well as ample space for additional FDNY companies to respond to incidents as needed.

The quarters of Marine 1 on the Hudson River.

Total construction of Pier 53 and the new firehouse cost over $19 million.

"Marine Company 1 has a new fireboat, a new firehouse, but remains the same reliable crew," said Chief of Department Edward Kilduff. "We love to put new tools in experienced people’s hands to see how they run with it … and the members here have certainly succeeded."

Members of Marine 1 have responded to a number of notable, recent emergencies, including the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the emergency landing of U.S. Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009.

"There are a number of new innovations in this building," said Chief of Marine Operations James Dalton. "We’re preparing for the future and ready to move the Marine Division forward."