Crime & Safety

New County Marine Boat Ready for Bridge Construction Accidents

Just as I was arriving to check out Westchester County Marine Unit’s fancy new boat, care of Homeland Security, the Tappan Zee Constructors heads of safety and security were leaving in their hardhats.

While more construction cranes pull up alongside the bridge – a very visible sign of the work underway and to come for many years – there’s much more going on behind the scenes to prepare for worst-case scenarios.

While Marine Unit's Commanding Officer James Luciano told me all the many cool things the boat could do, he dropped horrifying words like “crushing,” “entanglement,” describing the horrifying nature of heavy construction accidents that could someday all in the line of the duty for this crew once bridge work really gets going.

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The boat is rigged for terrorist-detection – watch that video here – but is also fully equipped, and will more likely be used, as a life-saving vessel, with full emergency beds down below, medical kits under seats, and marine officers trained as EMTs.

In April, then-Fire Chief Eugene Gasparre told Patch as he was finishing out the final days of his year-long term, that the Tarrytown fire department had been busy gearing up for the reality of the new Tappan Zee Bridge rebuild to come. Anticipating major work accidents with the construction, Gasparre said firefighters had been training diligently for special operation rescues and upgrading their heavy equipment.

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He said he foresaw the future of the force as firefighters responding to more and more heavy rescues. 

County police said they are indeed working closely with the Tarrytown Fire Department to prepare for these emergencies; their boats are neighbors here in the Tarrytown marina.


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