What a Blast

[Texanm 1]

Posted yesterday:

Truck with dynamite shuts down Thruway

Saugerties – A truck full of explosives that ran off the Thruway early Tuesday morning resulting in the superhighway being shut down for some three hours in the Saugerties area.

State Police said the truck ran off the road right near the southbound Saugerties exit 20 at around 5:40 a.m. Because it was full of blasting cap explosives, all traffic was halted in both directions as a precaution. The trucking company brought a replacement vehicle to the scene to off-load the explosives, which troopers said were likely used for construction demolition.

Area fire departments and emergency services personnel were on the scene as a precaution. There were no explosions.

The driver of the truck sustained minor injuries

From Hudson valley news network.

So you are first on scene and see the TT on its side down an embankment on interstate XX or whatever main road in your district.

What is your actions? Protocols? SOP?

Give a Probie a flare and have him check it out?

Seriously, i would believe it shouldn't vary much from place to place, just interested to see if there are any differences or better ideas....

[Remember585 815]

Is there a Bomb Squad in that area? I know WCPD Bomb Squad has been to Rockland and Dutchess, I wonder if they'd go there?

Stage away....very VERY far away!

We just had the Westchester County PD Bomb Squad come to our FD last week to give us a brief presentation of how they operate, what is expected from us (Fire & EMS) and gave us some good insight on how to operate at incidents involving explosives.

Those of you in Westchester should consider doing the same - it was very informative and entertaining.

[RescueKujo 130]

Rmember said it best, but here's a few pointers...

1) use the DOT handbook. Look at the placard, make sure you know what you have. If you see orange with a 1.1 on it, you better be backing up. If it's on fire, the quicker the better.

2) Call your local Bomb Squad. They will know what to do.

[TCD0415 26]

So, we sit and watch the Patient bleed out while waiting for the Bomb Squad ?

Moral Dilemma...........

[Texanm 1]

This incident actually happened 2 county's away,and i believe the bomb squad was called, but since i have a major highway running thru my district, it set me to thinking.

The moral dilemma about the driver is something to consider. Do you wave at the guy from a 1/2 mile away and tell him to have a seat and have a cigarette? Whom do you send to go check him out? Is Risk vs Benefit the question here?

Just how much manpower do you need to evacuate if it happened in a bad spot? What would be the worst spot?

Hummmm.......