Over 200 FDNY firefighters and EMS workers recently worked with the Long Island Rail Road to conduct training on rebreather gear in an underground environment with conditions similar to an actual emergency in a tunnel.
The first responders used the East New York Rail Tunnel, a 3,600-foot stretch that provides freight service to and from Brooklyn, according to the New York & Atlantic Railway (NYAR). The exercise simulated a major multi-vehicle accident in an underground highway tunnel.
Firefighters and rescuers entered the smoke-filled tunnel while using rebreathers, portable breathing devices that absorb carbon dioxide and recycle unused oxygen. The "victims"—around two dozen firefighters used as stand-ins—were extricated from vehicles and given on-scene medical treatment.
“The use of this location allows the FDNY to train and experience the real environment for our Rebreather Task Force," Chief of Special Operations John M. Esposito said in a statement. “We are better prepared to respond to and mitigate these life-threatening emergencies because of the collaboration with LIRR and the New York & Atlantic Railway."
"The coordination of this effort was significant and impressive to watch,” NYAR Vice President Marlon Taylor added. “The recent training is part of an ongoing commitment to safety and one of several programs we have with public-safety agencies throughout the year to bolster emergency preparedness and inter-agency cooperation while protecting the communities in which we operate.”
