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Long Week for Emergency Personnel
Electrical wires burn hole in the road on Route 9
by Maria Theodore Leiter
Last week's storm made for a very long week for local emergency personnel in Philipstown and Putnam Valley.
The Continental Village Volunteer Fire Department responded to 23 calls, fourteen of them on Monday, helping residents pump water out of their homes. The Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department reported to 11 local pump-outs and sent their crew to Mamaroneck to help that devastated community get a handle on its flooding. In the Village of Cold Spring, four residences were pumped out by the Cold Spring Volunteer Fire Department.
Chief Rodney Tudor of the Garrison Volunteer Fire Department said that his firehouse helped thirteen homeowners pump water out of their flooded homes.
"Thankfully we didn't have any rescues during the storm," said Tudor, "which is good. It means everyone took the storm seriously and didn't attempt to do anything that would get them in danger."
Tudor noted that some residents called the firehouse directly, but because the crews were in the field all day on Monday, the messages were not retrieved until Tuesday morning.
"In the future, I encourage members of the community to call Putnam County 911 via their non-emergency phone number (845) 225-4860 for pump outs and other non-emergencies during storms," said Tudor. "This way we can help everyone who needs it."
The North Highlands Fire Department responded to six flooded residences and also sent a crew for mutual aide to the Rombout Fire District.
For the rest of the week, the CVVFD reported that it responded to another pump-out and an automatic alarm on April 17, 2007. On April 21, they were called to two personal injury accidents, one on Annsville Circle, and the other on Bear Mountain Bridge Road. On April 22, they were called to the scene of a motorcycle accident, also on Bear Mountain Bridge Road.
The PVVFD responded to an automatic alarm malfunction on Bryant Pond Road and assisted Putnam County with a pump-off at Dunderberg Road. On April 20, they responded to a Brush Fire on Canopus Hollow Road and on April 21, they reported to Skyview Drive to investigate a complaint of smoke, which they found was caused by a controlled burn.
The NHFD responded to Route 9 at the Garrison/North Highlands Line, where downed wires were burning. Firefighters found a huge fire burning on the side of the road, reported Deputy Chief John Noschese. The wire was brought down by a large tree limb.
"We couldn't do any thing with the fire until Central Hudson Gas & Electric got there to turn off the power," he explained. Route 9 was shut down from the Bird and Bottle Inn to the district line. Traffic was detoured to Albany Post Road. "Once the power was turned off, we started powering water on the fire. It was so hot that it had created a hole in the blacktop about a foot deep." He said the incident used about 500 gallons of water. The New York State Department of Transportation was notified and soon took over the road closure.
On April 17, the company dispatched their Zodiac boat to the Rombout Fire District for mutual aid.
"Chief Charles Nolen, Captain Matt Riner, Ex-Chief John Van Tassel and Firefighter Jim Spratt donned wet suits and started knocking on doors of flooded residents on route 82 in Fishkill to check on the welfare of residents," said Noschese. "The front yards of residents were flooded. They paddled their way to the front doors to see if they needed assistance to leave their homes." However, nobody took them up on their offer.
At the same time, Noschese and 1st Assistant Chief Joe Hyatt and firefighter Armando Vivenzio went to 55 Hustis Road to pump out yet another flooded basement.
On April 18, the NHFD had to make a forcible entry into a home at 198 Route 301 because smoke was emanating from the residence. No one was at home. The smoke was caused by a malfunctioning boiler. Firefighters shut down the heating system and cleared the smoke from the residence.
Hopefully, warm weather and sunshine will give emergency workers a well-earned break this week.
Providing local news, information and opinions from
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