FDNY-EMT Yadira Arroyo Playground

1.186 acres

This playground honors Yadira Arroyo (1972-2017), an Emergency Medical Technician who lost her life in the line of duty.

Arroyo was a longtime Bronx resident who was known for her giving nature and kind-heartedness. She volunteered at her local soup kitchen and always took care of those around her. A fourteen-year veteran of FDNY EMS Station 26 in the South Bronx, Arroyo was considered their matriarch. Arroyo lost her life on March 17, 2017 after succumbing to injuries from being struck by her ambulance while trying to prevent its theft. She is survived by her five sons.

Arroyo was a dedicated public servant who gave her life for the community. She was posthumously awarded the 2017 Medal of Valor by the National Association of Hispanic Firefighters and the Basic Life Support Provider of the Year by the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of NYC. Arroyo is immortalized in a mural in Soundview, a street co-naming at 169th Street and Boston Road, and on plaques in both the station house and St. Barnabas Hospital. These distinctions are a fitting tribute to her service and sacrifice.

The playground is adjacent to Public School 119, which opened on Pugsley Avenue in 1939. The Department of Education enlarged the adjacent schoolyard between 1939 and 1959. Shortly thereafter, the school and NYC Parks agreed to create a new, jointly-operated playground that opened to the public in 1963.

This site is part of NYC Parks' Community Parks Initiative, a multi-faceted program to invest in under-resourced public parks and increase the accessibility and quality of parks throughout the five boroughs. In 2019, this project constructed new play equipment including a central water play feature that links the play areas for older and younger children.

Thursday, Jun 04, 2020