| Firefighters Respond to Crash With Diesel Fuel Spill at N.Y.S. Thruway Exit-42 |
On April 29, 2011 at 10:22pm, the Oaks Corners Fire Dept. & Phelps Ambulance were dispatched to New York
State Thruway Exit-42 for a report of a tractor-trailer that had struck the toll booth. Initial reports indicated the
driver was having chest pain and there was a fuel leak. Chief Brian Maney arrived on scene and reported a
truck had struck the toll booth and that traffic was backed up on both the northbound and southbound lanes on
Rt. 14 and also on Rt. 318. Engine 3211 and Rescue 3271 responded to the scene.
Chief Maney established command at Engine 3211 & gave a second update that there was a large diesel fuel
leak and that the driver was having chest pain that started prior to the crash. The truck had already lost around
30 gallons from a 120 gallon tank. He then reported that diesel fuel was flowing into three separate storm
drains. Chief Maney requested an additional activation for Heavy Rescue 3272 and additional crew members to
respond to the station. A request was made for notification to the New York State DEC Spill Response Unit and
the New York State Thruway Authority.
Chief Maney upgraded the response to Haz-Mat Level-1 and requested Emergency Manager Jeff Harloff to the
scene for additional resources. The Phelps Fire Dept. was placed on stand-by in their station to cover for Oaks
Corners. Heavy Rescue 3272 responded to the scene with a large supply of absorbent pads, booms, and
granular absorbent. Firefighters constructed barriers with booms & granular absorbent around the storm drains
and began covering a large area of spilled diesel fuel with granular absorbent. Firefighters also worked on
plugging the hole in the ruptured fuel tank. Fire-Police units shut down all entry traffic to Exit 42 at Rt. 14. An
additional request was made to the Oaks Corners station for an additional 12 bags of absorbent to the scene.
Once the leak was stopped firefighters determined the storm drains ran into a wetlands area 200' south of the
scene and placed booms to protect the area. Firefighters conducted air monitoring with a gas meter in the
basement and underground tunnel on the property. Low levels of flammable gas were detected in the tunnel as
well as two of the toll booths. Electricity to the toll booth was shut off by Thruway employees and verified by
firefighters using a Tac-Stick. The Thruway Exit was closed to entry traffic for several hours. Oaks Corners
Firefighters cleared the scene by 1:30am.
The following command positions were staffed during the operation...
Incident Command: Chief Brian Maney
Spill Control: Asst. Chief Lee DeRuyter
Safety: Lt. Tim Bragg
Traffic Control: EMS Captain Steve DeChick
EMS: Paramedic Shawn Fenner / EMT Vicky Rouse
Air Monitoring: Ed Swart
Photos by OCFD Firefighter Dave Metrick
State Thruway Exit-42 for a report of a tractor-trailer that had struck the toll booth. Initial reports indicated the
driver was having chest pain and there was a fuel leak. Chief Brian Maney arrived on scene and reported a
truck had struck the toll booth and that traffic was backed up on both the northbound and southbound lanes on
Rt. 14 and also on Rt. 318. Engine 3211 and Rescue 3271 responded to the scene.
Chief Maney established command at Engine 3211 & gave a second update that there was a large diesel fuel
leak and that the driver was having chest pain that started prior to the crash. The truck had already lost around
30 gallons from a 120 gallon tank. He then reported that diesel fuel was flowing into three separate storm
drains. Chief Maney requested an additional activation for Heavy Rescue 3272 and additional crew members to
respond to the station. A request was made for notification to the New York State DEC Spill Response Unit and
the New York State Thruway Authority.
Chief Maney upgraded the response to Haz-Mat Level-1 and requested Emergency Manager Jeff Harloff to the
scene for additional resources. The Phelps Fire Dept. was placed on stand-by in their station to cover for Oaks
Corners. Heavy Rescue 3272 responded to the scene with a large supply of absorbent pads, booms, and
granular absorbent. Firefighters constructed barriers with booms & granular absorbent around the storm drains
and began covering a large area of spilled diesel fuel with granular absorbent. Firefighters also worked on
plugging the hole in the ruptured fuel tank. Fire-Police units shut down all entry traffic to Exit 42 at Rt. 14. An
additional request was made to the Oaks Corners station for an additional 12 bags of absorbent to the scene.
Once the leak was stopped firefighters determined the storm drains ran into a wetlands area 200' south of the
scene and placed booms to protect the area. Firefighters conducted air monitoring with a gas meter in the
basement and underground tunnel on the property. Low levels of flammable gas were detected in the tunnel as
well as two of the toll booths. Electricity to the toll booth was shut off by Thruway employees and verified by
firefighters using a Tac-Stick. The Thruway Exit was closed to entry traffic for several hours. Oaks Corners
Firefighters cleared the scene by 1:30am.
The following command positions were staffed during the operation...
Incident Command: Chief Brian Maney
Spill Control: Asst. Chief Lee DeRuyter
Safety: Lt. Tim Bragg
Traffic Control: EMS Captain Steve DeChick
EMS: Paramedic Shawn Fenner / EMT Vicky Rouse
Air Monitoring: Ed Swart
Photos by OCFD Firefighter Dave Metrick
