NYPD To Aqquire New Hazmat Response Vehicles

[x635 4,066]

NYPD to Acquire Emergency Service Units

Hazardous Waste and Weapons of Mass Destruction Rapid Response Vehicles

Updated: 06-20-2005 12:12:35 PM

MURRAY WEISS  

Courtesy of New York Post

June 20, 2005 -- Having won the battle over who's in charge at bioterror and hazardous-material calamities, the NYPD is now battling for the best equipment — shelling out big bucks for top-of-the-line emergency vehicles, The Post has learned.  

For the first time, the NYPD is getting its own specially designed, airtight hazmat truck for top police brass and Emergency Service Unit personnel to roll up to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents.  

The $500,000 truck will be deployed with two half-million dollar decontamination vans and a handful of $80,000 hazmat "stepvans" to ferry protective equipment to disasters.  

Records show the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the city's purchasing agency, is seeking bids for "custom vehicles for the purpose of transporting equipment to and from Hazardous Material and Weapons of Mass Destruction incidents."  

The NYPD's first acquisition — formally called the Emergency Service Unit Hazardous Waste and Weapons of Mass Destruction Rapid Response Vehicle — will be a 19,000-pound, diesel-fueled vehicle with an airtight central compartment 14 feet long, 8 feet wide and 6 feet tall, according to the specifications.  

"This vehicle will be exposed to the most severe service in the City of New York . . . and subject to severe use," the bid request says, noting that "the seams MUST BE" sealed.  

It will come equipped with a state-of-the-art communication system and a battery of computer equipment that provides access to research and other data, the specs read.  

The NYPD's new hazmat vehicles will certainly be another symbol of the Finest's enhanced role in the city post-9/11 — and another stick in the eye of the FDNY.  

Mayor Bloomberg recently granted the NYPD exclusive command at hazardous-material incidents until it determines if a crime or terrorist act has taken place.  

The controversial decision was blasted by top fire brass and firefighters-union officials, who noted that every firefighter has various degrees of hazmat training and that at any given time, about 650 firefighters are on duty with the highest level of instruction.  

The FDNY already owns two large hazmat trucks, each equipped with equipment to detect and identify more than 10,000 substances.  

But Deputy Chief John Colgan, executive officer in the NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau insisted, "There is no redundancy of equipment with the Fire Department."

[TRUCK6018 50]

The $500,000 truck will be deployed with two half-million dollar decontamination vans and a handful of $80,000 hazmat "stepvans" to ferry protective equipment to disasters.

The FDNY already owns two large hazmat trucks, each equipped with equipment to detect and identify more than 10,000 substances.

Talk about a waste of money to the tax payers and duplication of services. Bloombag is so worried about his budget, then does something stupid like this.

[Guest]

I have nothing to say but......BULLS$#T. WTF is the fire dept for?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! There has been so much BS complaining from city hall that the firefighters have too much free time sitting in firehouses....sooooo, why not increase the level and scope of responsibility.

[21Truck 8]

What a crock of BS if I have ever heard one that bad before. The city can't afford to reopen 6 engine companies or staff guys with proper equipment until someone has to die but NYPD can spend however much as they see fit to buy something they don't need? Where is the justice in that. FDNY has a highly trained hazmat team, 5 Rescue companies and what 6 squads or so but NYPD needs this equipment? goes to show that Bloomberg is a frigen retard. Thank god his term will be up. Hell i'm sure Fidel Castro can do better then Bloomberg

[Guest WolfEMT]

Why spend more money on crap you don't need, since the FD handles Hazmat incidents, rather than pay the cops and fire fighters WHAT THEY ARE WORTH!

[-X ](*,) ](*,) [-X

[Guest]

This is total BS, it just doesn't make any sense to duplicate these types of services-It takes cops from regular police work!

They can't catch the big bad guys when they are playing firefighter, they should be patrolling for car thieves,rapist,murders,and any other thing. :roll: This is a freaking shame that politics is involved in this. Everybody

should know this is also happening in Westchester County, Alot of county PD's are trying to do the same,regarding ESU,or TECH

RESCUE TEAMS, etc...instead of patrolling the streets. :-k

[JCESU 20]

Correct me if I am wrong, but, the theory is that the PD will have control over any type of CBRNE/Chem-Bio incident until it is determined that it's not criminal in nature or a "terrorist attack"? Then, at that point, a "unified command" will engage if its determined to be an accident/natural disaster. Just curious...is that the gist of the situation?

Rick

[Truck4 48]

The anti-cop sentiment bleeds through again. Haz Mat is not about "oops we dropped the bucket of glowing slime" anymore. Educate yourself. Do you want to suit up, as a fireman, and go into some place where there's a bad guy looking to take you and everyone else out and his weapon is a chem-bio agent? And newsflash! This IS about fighting crime! It's about keeping up with the times. Why don't all you haters look into the origins of FDNY Haz Mat and why/how it came to be. You might be surprised at the truth. And another thing, where do you think the money came from to buy all the FDNY Haz Mat gear and training for the members since 2001? Government funding. Likely where the NYPD will go for the money now that they are the lead agency.

Ever think for a second that Haz Mat trained cops will be there to PROTECT fire and EMS operating at these jobs?

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Ever think for a second that Haz Mat trained cops will be there to PROTECT fire and EMS operating at these jobs?

I agree with Truck4.

Most PD's around the country are developing their own HazMat teams nowadays. One example of the need for a PD Hazmat team that T4 did not touch on is Meth Labs......Meth Labs are a crime, and a crime scene....a very dangerous one at that that need to be dismantled and documented. Situations like these are more of a LE role IMO then an FD role.

However, I feel situations like spills, etc should still be FD primarily.

Although there is a lot of political BS intertwined into FDNY-NYPD, I wish the two agencies could stop working against each other so much and work together more....it would set an example for everyone.

Everybody  

should know this is also happening in Westchester County, Alot of county PD's are trying to do the same,regarding ESU,or TECH

RESCUE TEAMS, etc...instead of patrolling the streets. :-k

I don't think you've never worked with a true ESU Unit, or don't really understand their primary role. ESU is the "leatherman" of the Police Department. ESU is the cops for the cops. The PD FAST, Or "PAST" if you will. They make it safe for the other guys. They are the 24/7 SWAT team. They make the tactical entries and takesdowns. Have you ever seen the equipment they carry??? In addition to their additional responsibilties, ESU is a highly trained patrol unit that's on the streets, taking down the perps and possums that trouble us all. I can't tell you how many times during a summer night I used to hear ESU calling for a "cage car"....more then a regular patrol unit woud. Sure, they do extrication too, but if you look at the history of automobile extrication in NYC and the WC, PD was actually doing it first anyways.

Many Medics will also tell you that ESU is their best friend on any scene.....EMS works great with ESU, and I welcome ESU on every scene, very helpful and knowledgeable guys no matter what you need done, and you never hear "Can we go now?"....they are there always 'til the back door of the bus is closed, whether it is a BS call, a medical call, or a trauma job.

[Guest WolfEMT]

I wouldn't really say that it's anti-cop sentiment bleeding through, but rather a slight disbelief that the Mayor is creating a new program that already exists. When you have too many bureaucracies involved in a situation, the situation becomes too cumbersome to deal with and eventually becomes more trouble than its worth.

[Guest TOYBUFF911]

PEOPLE NEED TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS A NEW DAY AND AGE. FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE THERE JOB DEALING WITH INCIDENTS AFTER THEY TAKE PLACE, WHERE THE POLICE NEED TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH, TO PREVENT AN INCIDENT BEFORE IT HAPPENS. SO SOME OF THESE SITUATIONS MIGHT INCLUDE SECURITY FOR SECONDARY ATTACKS ON RESCUERS AND GOING INTO A LOCATIONS THAT CONTAINS HAZ MAT OR A CHEMICAL WEAPON OF SORTS AND PREVENTING A PERSON FROM DEPLOYNG IT AND AVOIDING A DISASTER BEFORE IT HAPPENS. SOME OF YOU JUST CANT GRASP THIS CONCEPT. PLAIN AND SIMPLE AS A TAXPAYER, I WOULD RATHER HAVE 1000 TRAINED RESPONDERS THAN 500 ???????? ESPECIALLY WHEN HOMELAND SECURITY IS FLIPPING THE BILL.

IN NYC THERE IS 40,000 POLICE OFFICER AND THERE ARE ABOUT 500 ESU COPS. THAT IS BARELY ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF THERE OWN OFFICERS IF THE CRAP HITS THE FAN.

TO THE PERSON WHO SAID THE NICE THINGS ABOUT ESU. I SAY THANKS. WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON HELPING ANY AGENCY AND OVERCOMING ANY JOB GIVEN TOO US. NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL.

AND FOR THE PERSON SAYING THAT WESTCHESTER COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE STARTING UNITS AND TRAINING IN HAZ MAT? ALL I CAN SAY IS YOU BET YOU BUTT WE ARE. ESU IS NOT IN THE BUISNESS TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO ANYONE. WE ARE DRIVING TO PROVIDE THE CITY AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WITH A HIGHLY TRAINED UNIT CAPABLE OF HANDLING ANY SITUATION THAT MIGHT ARISE, EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER IT HAPPENS.

STAY SAFE

[Guest]

I just hope they get the extra training to go along with these rigs.......just for the sake of the citizens of NYC!!!!! We all seen what they are capable of with the "garbage truck" incident.

[MGMedic 0]

Agreed. For the sake of the citizens of the city and for OUR sakes. And I really don't buy the angle that they are there to "protect" fire and EMS operating at the scene. A well trained, knowledgeable experienced haz mat crew is all the protection we need. In their short time in the limelight as the lead agency, NYPD has shown they are anything but. The trained eye has seen what they do with the crime scene and the evidence contained in it.

[JCESU 20]

Those who live in glass houses...... By far I have seen on almost EVERY job the FD tramples through crime scenes and potential crime scenes. And then they get an attitude when the are escorted out. But funny thing is they loose the attitude at 0300 when they are being asked for their paperwork....being short sighted with big egos can definitely bite you in the butt. We could sit here and debate this infinitely. LE is trained from the start, the importance of preserving evidence. For many reasons if not for the fact that if the scene is tainted LE will be made to look like a fool in front of the prosecutor/DA etc. and/or juries. In addition, its our job...plain and simple. FYI what you are calling Hazmat incidents does not equate to what LE is seeing as a crime. So you see they are not taking LE away from Police work but they are training and equiping them to enter into a new era which is long over do. I don't think they will be calling for a Level 1 mobilization to throw down some kitty litter or patch a tanker. FD's are always crying about loosing their God given right to perform some sort of function and stepping up onto their Union soapbox. But they have no problem attempting and accomplishing taking over EMS (not NYC)and putting people out of work who TRULY want to do the job of an EMT/Medic. EMT's=$35K FF/EMT=$70K yeah thats a fiscally sound move. But thats for another debate.

The argument that having LE present at CBRNE/Hazmat calls is not needed....well all I can say is that I have been dispatched to fire scenes because the FD couldn't handle a hostile crowd or they went to an oxygen call that was a crime in progress and had to advance to the rear. And as well they should because its not their job its an LE function. Stay Safe guys.

Rick :-k

[Fire24 1]

Good posts from all. What we all have to remember, regardless of what our logos may say, is that we are all trying to mitigate a matter to which the public has called us. The environment of what we are all dealing with today is vastly different from anything that we have seen in our history. Every incident is mulitfaceted, with the need to have input and expertise from PD, FD, EMS, any any other special agency that may be needed. If any one of our agencies fail, we all fail because we have not resolved the matter to the best of our capabilities. How do any of us explain that to the public? PD's have ESU to provide a function of specialized training to assist their fellow officers. FD's have rescue companies to do the same for their fellow firefighters. Each has their special tools and equipment and assignments, based upon what their budgets allow. We're all on the same team here, trying to do a job and make the public have some confidence in our ability to protect them and help them in their time of need. We do our best work when we work together - as tough as that may be at times, especially in certain communities. The negative comments about any agency serve no pupose to help any emergency responder.