*****FDNY Fire/EMS Reports*****
Excerpted From ENN Daily Report - Vol. 2, No. 331 - Nov. 26, 1996

FDNY REESTABLISHES PARAMEDIC RESPONSE VEHICLES
By Jim Fay ENN NYC-NJ Bureau

The New York City Fire Department unveiled its new Advanced Life Support Patrol/Response Unit at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, NY, on Monday, November 25.

The unit is a "Blazer"-type vehicle, equipped with all advanced life support equipment. It will not carry patients. This first unit is assigned to Elmhurst Hospital, and will have an initial response area of the FDNY's 46 Battalion area. It will be manned by one paramedic and one paramedic supervisor.

When the Paramedic program started in NYC in the early 1970's, the units were also manned by two EMS paramedics, and did not carry patients. This changed in time with the overwhelming responses and workload of EMS at that time, and eventually, paramedic units were assigned regular ambulance vehicles and transported as required. However, this takes away from the uniqueness of the paramedic operation, and makes the paramedic unit "just another ambulance," as one EMS professional stated. Now, with the take over of NYC*EMS by the FDNY, there has been a return to the original concept of paramedic response.

When Howard Safir, now NYPD Commissioner, was the Fire Commissioner, it was planned that the FDNY*EMS would be quartered in already built fire houses, or other FD buildings. With the establishment of the "APRU," it appears that EMS personnel will be continued to be headquartered in in hospitals, as they originally were prior to the merger with the FD.

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MALE ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO DUMP HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
By Jim Fay ENN NYC-NJ Bureau

A man who attempted to illegally discard two plastic bottles which contained a highly toxic substance into a NYC Sanitation truck, was arrested in The Bronx on Monday.

The NYPD reports that, at about 1450 hrs., on Monday, an unidentified male approached a NYC Department of Sanitation truck that was on a recycling pickup route in front of the address of 943 East 221 Street, near Bronxwood Avenue. The male attempted to throw the bottles into the back of the truck, but was stopped by the sanitation workers. The workers spotted the bottle labels, which stated "hydroflouric acid" on them. After telling the unidentified male the proper method of disposing of the chemicals, the sanitation workers continued on their route.

The male initially left, but as the truck got farther down the street, he allegedly ran up to the back of the truck and threw the suspicious bottles in. The sanitation workers had someone call '911,' while they attempted to locate the offender.

In addition to the NYPD, the NYC Sanitation Department Police also responded to the scene. P.O. Minutolo of the Sanitation Police placed the individual under arrest for various environmental law violations, and reckless endangerment.

Less then two weeks ago, NYC Sanitation Worker Michael Hanly, 51, was killed when a bottle of hydroflouric acid exploded in the back of his sanitation truck during a routine pickup. The acid severely burnt Hanly's face, and he died from inhaling the fumes.

(C) EmergencyNet News Service, 1996. All rights reserved, redistribution without permission prohibited.