MEDIA RELEASE
Sons of the Beach
FOR MORE INFO CALL: FRED BAUER 631-288-1486 or E-MAIL:
fred@hentschelagency.com
March 22, 2007
A
Chief working in the area quickly responded and assessed conditions. It was determined that a possible hazardous
materials condition existed. Precautions
were taken to stabilize the scene including having staff
and students held on site until a determination could be made regarding the
cause of the problem and to prevent any departing staff from interfering with
responding emergency vehicles.
While
WHB firefighters made an initial interior response to meter for CO and volatile
gases, the Town of
The
Town of Southampton Department of Public Safety Haz-Mat
Team was dispatched and Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services was also requested to respond with their decontamination
unit and mobile command post to assist with the coordinated efforts of multiple
agencies responding.
Other
agencies that responded to the call included the Westhampton War Memorial
Ambulance, Quogue Fire Department, Manorville Ambulance, East Moriches Ambulance,
Flanders Ambulance and the Southampton Town Police Department.
As
there was a possible unknown, the Haz-Mat team
required decontamination provided by the
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2
The
team explored and metered the area where the odor had been noted and where the
staff had been prior to falling ill.
Local
EMTs and paramedics were utilized for patient assessment and for support of the
volunteer responders and Haz-Mat team
operations.
Dr.
Wu of the Suffolk County Department of Health responded to the scene to provide
medical oversight. Based upon a review
of the medical histories and the fact that vital signs were stable and no
definitive cause could be determined, students were released to their parents
and the staff was released. Dr. Wu will
also be following up with local hospitals.
In a
strange twist of fate, the night before this call,
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Attached
photos by