Engine 6 on Beekman St. temporarily closed its doors last week and moved to the Engine 4/Ladder 15 firehouse on South St.
Engine 6 had to move because the city is upgrading utilities on Beekman St., tearing up the area in front of Engine 6 between William and Gold Sts. That work will last about six months, and then Engine 6 will return, said Steve Ritea, F.D.N.Y. spokesperson.
Engine 4/Ladder 15 has space for the additional engine, and the firefighters there are accustomed to sharing their space, Ritea said. In 2004, Engine 6 moved to the 4/15 firehouse for about 18 months while the Beekman firehouse was rebuilt.
Engine 4 was slated to close for budget reasons but was saved in June. Nighttime service had been cut at the beginning of the year but it was restored in the June budget.
The F.D.N.Y. did not have information about whether the Engine 6 move would affect response times in Lower Manhattan.
