Yonkers residents say they are concerned that the city suddenly shut down a historic firehouse due to safety concerns.

Resident Ori Webster says that the abrupt closure of the School Street Firehouse could delay the department's response time in an emergency.

The city says any change in response time would be negligible.

On Wednesday, residents joined firefighters for a rally urging Mayor Mike Spano to repair rather than condemn the building.

The city says the building is structurally deficient, and it has blocked off the sidewalk to make sure any falling bricks aren't a danger to the public.

City officials say it could take months before a final decision on the fate of the firehouse is made. In the interim, firefighters from Tower Ladder Co. 71 are now about half a mile away at Station 3 on Vark Street.