Our Street Fire Boxes: A Vanishing Necessity ?

For some reason since I moved to Roosevelt Island I have been fascinated with our street Fire Call Boxes. It probably has to do with the fact that years ago I survived a fire in the brownstone I lived within while living in Brooklyn. That's another story. Anyway yesterday I noticed that Box 1915 which sits almost behind 465 Main Street, facing Manhattan and the East River, has been tagged as "temporarily out of service".

Last year when I traded emails with Public Safety Director Keith Guerra about the three stumps of former fire boxes, that sit in front of 415 - 475 Main Street, Southtown, he confirmed that usually when boxes go out of order tat they are removed. Per e-mail discussion threads on NYCFire.net I learned that the "stumps" are kept as the circuits run through them on their way to working boxes so the stumps remain.

It would appear then that 1915, which in addition to being on of the few boxes on that side of Riverwalk, may be headed for partial removal. I always iked this box as it was the classic design as opposed to the ugly grey boxes we have further up Main Street. Putting the aesthetics aside I do believe these boxes still serve a purpose. Even though cell phones are virtually everywhere there are still instances where individuals don't have one and these individuals may find themselves needing to report an incident, fire or otherwise, and these boxes are a link to our emergency services on and off the island.