| Disaster/Evacuation
Plans- Citizens
are concerned that dangerous cargo may be shipped daily
over the main line tracks and the residents and businesses
adjacent to the main line may be exposed to incremental
danger. Villages and first responders (Police, Fire and
EMS services) should be aware of any hazardous materials
being transported so that they can prepare to handle
fires, crashes or derailments. How can an evacuation plan
be drawn up if the servicing areas don’t know what
dangerous materials their dealing with until well after
the incident occurs? In addition to the risk to residents,
the first responders are also being forced to assume
additional risk. The length of time needed to respond will
be protracted because of this apparent refusal of LIRR
cooperation. This could well result in the loss of many
additional lives.
We were encouraged that
on January 12, 2008 Assemblyman Tom Alfano and State
Senator Kemp Hannon announced that they have drafted
legislation to mandate freight companies to give 24 hour
notice to Village Officials and first responders before
they transport hazardous materials.
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