Central Nyack (Rockland) Major Propane Tank Leak 06/13/08

[RocklandFires 44]

The Central Nyack Fire Department was alerted at 1835 hours for a reported gas leak in the rear of the Nyack Food Mart, 4 Waldron Ave in Central Nyack. The West Nyack Fire Department was also dispatched to the scene on AMA due to a majority of officers/manpower being up at the Chiefs Convention in Lake George. 1st arriving Clarkstown Police units reported some type of gas leak with a large white cloud coming from the rear of the building with a heavy odor throughout the neighborhood. Central Nyack FD arrived on scene and reported an underground propane tank, unknown size, leaking. The Blauvelt, Hillcrest, Nyack, Orangeburg, Piermont, Valley Cottage & West Haverstraw Fire Departments were all requested to the scene along with the Rockland County Hazmat Team. The Congers, Orangeburg & Spring Valley Fire Departments were covering Central Nyack & West Nyack Firehouses. Numerous Rockland County Ambulances were staged at the scene and a Nyack Ambulance transported 1 person overcome by fumes from the Highview Court Apartments that is located on the hill above the leak. The entire apartment complex was evacuated, as well as the Nyack Food Mart, Shell Gas Station & McDoanlds. Incident placed under control just after midnight.

Additional photos of the entire incident can be viewed on my website:

http://www.brianduddy.com/g/cn061308

Before Fire Department arrival

Central Nyack & West Nyack Fire Departments checking out the leak, getting soaked by the hose line protecting them

The Rockland County Hazmat Team goes into operation as a hose team protects them

http://www.brianduddy.com/g/cn061308

[jack10562 414]

It looks like this was a third-party damage.

Someone regrading the ground behind the store with a machine ripped out the buried tank's fill valve.

[RocklandFires 44]

It looks like this was a third-party damage.

Someone regrading the ground behind the store with a machine ripped out the buried tank's fill valve.

That's exactly what it was. Store claims they had no clue there was a tank back there. I think they were having the rear of the building cleared out. Not sure how big the tank was, will drive by there in the AM as they have taken it out of the ground supposedly.

[CPAGE 2]

Wow that could have gone very bad very fast. Good job by the Rockland Brothers.

[DR104 141]

The West Nyack Fire Department was also dispatched to the scene on AMA due to a majority of officers/manpower being up at the Chiefs Convention in Lake George. Thats great!!!!!!!

[Goose 188]

The boat shoes, shorts, turn out coat, baseball cap and two raidos is pretty bada$$. Wish i could wear that to work...

Just as a side note, and maybe this deserves a new topic, but this whole Lake George buff confrence scares me. It seems as though it has left a good number of fire districts/protection districts/whatever severly understaffed. I've heard that some agencies even drive their engines and trucks up there?!

Edited June 15, 2008 by Goose

[Danger 160]

Rockland Haz-Mat has their own engine?

[SageVigiles 1,194]

This is why we call before we dig...

[TRUCK6018 50]

This is why we call before we dig...

Under normal circumstances call be for you dig would not have found the tank. Call be for you dig will send out the local power company, natural gas company, telephone and cable and they will only mark out their own lines. If a line is private you have to call a third party contractor for mark outs.

Unfortunately call be for you dig isn't as punctual as they should be. When you call, you give a date and time the excavation will start. On a recent excavation I did, Verizon showed up for their mark out 3 hours after the start of the scheduled excavation.