Syracuse, NY-Syracuse Firefighters managed a busy 4th of July holiday weekend last weekend. Across the city, firefighters responded to more than 250 alarms over a period of 72 hours, on Thursday, July 4th, Friday, July 5th, and Saturday, July 6th.
252 alarms were answered by fire companies, including 21 which were determined to be related to fires. Many of the confirmed fires involved trash or rubbish outside, however the totals do include one structure fire. Crews also responded to more than 140 emergency medical alarms, including nearly 20 motor vehicle collisions. Particularly on July 4th and July 5th, fire crews responded to several calls back-to-back-to-back, often responding to one incident as soon as they had cleared a previous scene. The remaining incidents cover a wide range of emergencies, from smoke scares, to reported natural gas leaks. Many of the alarms were initially dispatched as reported possible fires.
On Friday, July 5th, the department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team was called to the City of Oneida, to assist the Oneida City Fire Department with a dangerous chlorine gas leak at the municipal wastewater treatment facility.
Busy nights such as the ones experienced over the holiday weekend can quickly deplete emergency services resources in the city. To help manage the increased call volume, and to be prepared for the possibility of multiple incidents occurring at the same time, the department staffed an additional Engine Company for the overnight shift on July 4th. The extra engine was based out of Station 12 on West Genesee Street, the home of the Fire Department’s EMS division.
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