Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley would like to thank County Executive Ryan McMahon for updating the public today during his press conference regarding the Solar Eclipse upcoming on April 8th. Sheriff Shelley would like to share some of our safety plans for the residents of the County that will be in effect on Monday.
Starting this weekend, 4-6-2024, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office will implement the Solar Eclipse safety plan. This plan began being drafted months ago and is ready to be implemented. The Sheriff’s Office wants everyone in the county and our residents to enjoy the Solar Eclipse while being safe. The Sheriff’s Office will monitor traffic flow and volume throughout the county this weekend. The County is expected to have as many as one million people pass through the area. Sheriff patrol is ready to handle this possible extra call volume. The overall operational mission is to support a safe and secure environment for the influx of people, support local viewing events, mitigate roadway congestion, and provide continued law enforcement services before, during, and after the eclipse.
Onondaga County is expected to be a staging area for the eclipse viewers as a central location. There will be both sanctioned and unsanctioned viewing events. Sanctioned events have been recognized by the county and local municipalities. Unsanctioned events are private events planned and unplanned mass gatherings viewing sites.
Public safety threats have been identified. With the increased number of people in the county, the Sheriff’s Office has identified safety issues that will be monitored closely. These include but are not limited to Increased 911 calls, lost/missing persons, field or brush fires, cell service overload, vehicle traffic and accidents, boat and water accidents, gas and fuel supply depletion, and restaurant/grocery store supplies depletion.
Transportation networks may see congestion, including total stoppage. Local roads, highways, and bike and footpaths will most likely have more significant volumes at times. With the amount of traffic expected, heavy gridlock may cause issues relating to fuel, heat, water, food, bathroom challenges, and possibly stranded motorists.
Onondaga County Sheriff’s resources during the day and evening of the eclipse. There will be a more significant number of deputies working that day. One of our most significant resources will be our 25-year-old Air One Helicopter, which will be operational, doing traffic surveys, searching for possible missing persons, providing emergency vehicle escorts, and physically evacuating people if needed. Our counter terrarium unit will monitor different events and relay information to our quick response teams; navigation units will patrol the county waterways, a bomb squad will be activated, multiple drones will be deployed, and a SWAT unit and K9 will be on alert. The Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management will have a centralized command post.
The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office has met with the Commissioner of Onondaga County Parks to develop a comprehensive plan to help patrol and monitor the large crowds attending the viewing events.
The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office wants people to come to the county, have fun, and be safe. Please remember to call 911 in an emergency; if you see something, say something.
Pixabay Photo(s)
