Mutual Aid to Schoharie County, New York

[JohnnyOV 2]

Memorandum Department of Emergency Services

To:Westchester County Fire Chiefs

From:Chief Nicholas Gasparre

Re:Mutual Aid to Schoharie County, New York

Date:09/07/2011

The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control is requesting mutual aid to Schoharie County, New York. The resources requested are 5 Tankers with a crew and 13 Storm Emergency Fire Units (SEFU) for a three day (72 Hours) deployment. Apparatus is to meet tomorrow morning, Thursday, September 8th at 6:00 AM at the DES parking lot located at 35 Walker Road.

SEFU:

• 2 Firefighters with PPE and SCBA with spare cylinders

• 4-Wheel drive pick-up truck or similar size vehicle (should be FD Owned)

• Portable Pump

• Hard suction w/strainer

• 200' of discharge hose

• Necessary fittings, adapters, etc.

• Portable Generator

• Electric adapters to adapt to household type receptacles

• Portable lighting for night operations

• Fuel Can for pump and generator

• Chain saw

• Fuel and Oil for chain saw

• 2 (two) Shovels

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector

• 2 1/2 Gallon Pressurized Water Extinguisher

• 16. Minimum 10-pound CO2 or Dry Chemical Extinguisher

Any other departments sending manpower or equipment to assist?

[markmets415 524]

Chief Post of the East Fishkill Fire District reported that they are sending a tanker and utility, as always EFFD is there to assist those in need, thanks Chief and the members of EFFD!

[helicopper 1,050]

To all who may be venturing up to scenic Schoharie County...

Be advised that the county was devastated by Hurricane Irene and again during the past 24 hours. The county's ICP was evacuated yesterday when the fairgrounds flooded again. Plan on austere conditons and MRE's depending on where you're assigned. Some of the FD's and local residents are feeding crews but it depends on where you are. Bring sleeping bags and cots if you have them.

For the tanker task forces, you may be standing by as fire suppression relief for affected departments. One of the biggest complaints we heard last week was that these crews "didn't do anything". While it may have seemed that way to the out of town resources, they provided much needed relief to the local crews who are also victims and in some cases lost everything.

Heed the inundation sirens too. If you hear them it means flooding is imminent and evacuation is necessary. The water rose six feet in less than 20 minutes so it is no joke.

Be safe and stay dry!

[JohnnyOV 2]

Just received word that the County Swift Water team is headed upstate with all their equipment; Yorktown will be dual dispatched with them to any job they're requested to down here.

[helicopper 1,050]

There is also some info on the conditons in Schoharie in the original Hurricane Irene thread.

[firemoose827 324]

Being from there I can tell you this; We have been going 24/7 since the storm hit. Three communities have been decimated by the floods, 2 have lost their fire stations and some equipment. The rest of us have been heading up relief efforts to supply food and clothing and cleaning supplies to the affected. Numerous homes wiped out. Schoharie (Village) itself has become a haz-mat site with unknown quantities of fuel oil and god knows what else soaked into the soils and buildings from the flooding. We had another 3 inches of rain yesterday and had a mandatory evacuation of Middleburgh and Schoharie and I think Livingstonville as well.

Whatever help you all can offer will be appreciated, as helicopter already pointed out, you may very well not respond to anything while you are here, but just being here, relieving the crews from local departments who may have lost their homes as well is more help than you can imagine.

Thanks to all that respond here, from all of my brothers/sisters here in Schoharie County, we appreciate it all. If you are anywhere near my station stop by and say hello, we will feed you too!!

Thanks again.

Stay Safe.

Moose

[JohnnyOV 2]

I know a couple guys from my department wanted to go, but the less then 12 hour notice for a 72 hour deployment would not have sit well with our jobs... Had we had more advanced notice, I'm sure we would have had a crew up there.

[helicopper 1,050]

I know a couple guys from my department wanted to go, but the less then 12 hour notice for a 72 hour deployment would not have sit well with our jobs... Had we had more advanced notice, I'm sure we would have had a crew up there.

Don't be surprised if there are additional requests, not just from Scoharie either! If you want to go on such an assignment it may not be a bad idea to start making the arrangements now so when the request comes through you've already done the leg work.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

St. Lawrence County has been sending crews since the storm hit. Potsdam FD is on its 3rd 72 hours tour with an Engine and Utility. It is great to see people answering the call for help. Stay safe everyone!

[texastom791 31]

A few departments from putnam county went up.

[snkbitn 2]

Pleasant Valley Fire from Dutchess County has a crew up there right now. They like other agencies are on a 72 hour mission.

[61MACKBR1 222]

Is anyone from the Westchester County DES going up? How about any Special Ops Departments from say Yonkers, New Rochelle and/or White Plains going up?

[subband 0]

Mahopac, Lake Carmel, Patterson, and Carmel all from Putnam County are there now..

[ny10570 745]

To everyone going up there, be safe and good luck. Do your departments providing their members with vaccinations? cholera, hep A, and tetanus are the big three off the top of my head. Sewage and septic systems are among the first things to fail and last to be restored in flooding and thanks to our modern sanitation systems we have little exposure and even less vaccination for cholera and hep A.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

To everyone going up there, be safe and good luck. Do your departments providing their members with vaccinations? cholera, hep A, and tetanus are the big three off the top of my head. Sewage and septic systems are among the first things to fail and last to be restored in flooding and thanks to our modern sanitation systems we have little exposure and even less vaccination for cholera and hep A.

That's exactly the series I got when I went to India...n/k...

Good luck and stay safe to all the good members who head up (properly!) there to help out.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Is anyone from the Westchester County DES going up? How about any Special Ops Departments from say Yonkers, New Rochelle and/or White Plains going up?

I remember last time this happened. Sometimes things "take a while" to get organized in Westchester.

[helicopper 1,050]

Some photos from Schoharie...

Fuel tanks that were overturned by the force of the water. This created a serious haz-mat condition that will require long-term remediation.

This is actually a pick-up truck not just a roof that is buried in rock/gravel from the water.

You can see how high the water got above this field. Hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland were destroyed.

Road undermined by the adjacent "creek".

House pushed off its foundation.

[helicopper 1,050]

Some additional photos...

Portable ATM's brought into downton Middleburgh since the bank branches were all flooded. Middleburgh was one of the hardest hit communities.

This bridge is about 12 feet over the normal water line but the water came right over the top of it. (Off State Route 145 near the Albany/Schoharie border).

I don't think anyone is going to be using this, do you?

Culvert undermined by floodwaters.

[helicopper 1,050]

USAR Operations and ICP...

Check-in - initially managed by OFPC. Later managed by the NYS IMT.

FEMA USAR OH TF-1 base of operations adjacent to the ICP.

Barn converted to ICP/EOC at the County Fairgrounds.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Ahhhhh...now I get it. You were there. No wonder you were talking about the freelancers. Wish I could say nice photos. Over.

[tracdoc 1]

I remember last time this happened. Sometimes things "take a while" to get organized in Westchester.

The county Tech Rescue Swift Water team has been there since this morning.

[helicopper 1,050]

The ICP was staffed from 0600-2400 daily.

For those who may not think ICS actually works. It got used and used BIG time.

Planning Section

Tactics Meeting

Briefing military personnel who ran the Points of Distribution for food and water when they were first established.

Operations Section briefing Branch Directors and Division/Group Supervisors at start of operational period.

]

[JimmyPFD 11]

I remember last time this happened. Sometimes things "take a while" to get organized in Westchester.

The County Swift Water Team mentioned earlier in the thread is part of the Tech Rescue Team. They deployed early this morning.

Please disregard. I hadn't notice that this was mentioned in a previous post. -Jim

Edited September 9, 2011 by JimmyPFD

[firemoose827 324]

Im posted at the State EMO Bunker tonight, running the desk for my job, doing the midnight shift. Impressive operation they have set up here. I will be back with the volunteer dept tomorrow. Chris, I had no idea you were up here, you should have popped in and said hello! lol

[efdcapt115 1,511]

The county Tech Rescue Swift Water team has been there since this morning.

I'll be honest with ya. I'm referring to fire departments like the one I worked for. It's a joke. Who's gonna go? How are they going to pay for it? Through the B.O.C. God forbid the Chief of some of these depts. could just say "They need us, you, you, you and you are going, take this rig, staff this other rig and get the heck up there." Don't work that way in a lot of places in Westcheser.

[pasobuff 38]

I'll be honest with ya. I'm referring to fire departments like the one I worked for. It's a joke. Who's gonna go? How are they going to pay for it? Through the B.O.C. God forbid the Chief of some of these depts. could just say "They need us, you, you, you and you are going, take this rig, staff this other rig and get the heck up there." Don't work that way in a lot of places in Westcheser.

If the department has signed on with the County Mutual Aid agreement - they better send help if they can.....we had some career/paid departments come to help out.....

And for Chris - you must have been there before the flooding - not sure if you heard, but the ICP at the fairgrounds had to BUG OUT (and I mean BUG!) on Wednesday - water was at least a foot deep inside the building you pictured.....

[61MACKBR1 222]

If the department has signed on with the County Mutual Aid agreement - they better send help if they can.....we had some career/paid departments come to help out.....

And for Chris - you must have been there before the flooding - not sure if you heard, but the ICP at the fairgrounds had to BUG OUT (and I mean BUG!) on Wednesday - water was at least a foot deep inside the building you pictured.....

And as Moose said - you should have let us know you were here!!!!!

I certainly hope that "Who Is Going To Cover The Cost", "Paid vs. Volunterr Conflicts", and "Who Is In Charge" (Checking Egos In At The Door) DOES NOT play into any department within Westchester County going up there to assist up there. Its about providing "AID" that has been requested. Cities/Towns/Villages who are part of the Westchester County Mutual Aid Program should be available and immediately made ready to assist, in case of Disaster Support, if the "COUNTY" offers assistance to other COUNTIES within the State.

Or am I incorrect in these assumptions?

[helicopper 1,050]

If the department has signed on with the County Mutual Aid agreement - they better send help if they can.....we had some career/paid departments come to help out.....

And for Chris - you must have been there before the flooding - not sure if you heard, but the ICP at the fairgrounds had to BUG OUT (and I mean BUG!) on Wednesday - water was at least a foot deep inside the building you pictured.....

I was there between the floodings...

Got to clean it up the first time but missed the pleasure of that the second time.

[helicopper 1,050]

I certainly hope that "Who Is Going To Cover The Cost", "Paid vs. Volunterr Conflicts", and "Who Is In Charge" (Checking Egos In At The Door) DOES NOT play into any department within Westchester County going up there to assist up there. Its about providing "AID" that has been requested. Cities/Towns/Villages who are part of the Westchester County Mutual Aid Program should be available and immediately made ready to assist, in case of Disaster Support, if the "COUNTY" offers assistance to other COUNTIES within the State.

Or am I incorrect in these assumptions?

Cost is always an issue and with budgets being so tight these days it may not be so easy to just say "go".

The other big issue is that most departments, career and volunteer, are so short-staffed that staffing additional companies and sending them away probably isn't as easy as it was 5 (or more) years ago.

This is more than mutual aid and a 72 hour commitment can strain even the most well-staffed/prepared agencies.

All that said, the response from around the state has been impressive. There have been resources from Buffalo, Watertown, Westchester and all points in between assisting.

I don't think anyone is avoiding the call, IMHO.

[x635 4,066]

Great photos!

I can't believe the greedy Bank Of America has a mobile ATM to set up in disaster areas.

Ahhhhh...now I get it. You were there. No wonder you were talking about the freelancers. Wish I could say nice photos. Over.

Floods and wildfires are two very different animals.