First alarm newsletter April 2011

To: All Ulster County Emergency Services
From: Art Snyder
Date: April 1, 2011
Re: News and information

Narrow banding – As most of you know, those agencies operating in the 150-170 MHz and 421-512 MHz frequency range (our EMS community and many law enforcement agencies) must be “narrow band” compliant by January 1, 2013. It was my desire to combine the meeting of that mandate with the migration to a new radio system. It is highly unlikely that will be possible. Therefore, look for news in the coming months on a time frame for this conversion. If you have not already done so, inventory your radios to determine which ones are narrow band capable, and ask your service shop what the cost will be for reprogramming.

Radio study – A series of battalion level meetings for fire and EMS agencies has been scheduled for the first week of May:
Monday May 2, 2011; 7 PM; Rosendale firehouse
Tuesday May 3, 2011; 7 PM; Accord firehosue
Wednesday May 4, 2011; 7 PM; West Hurley firehouse
Thursday May 5, 2011; 7 PM; Clintondale firehouse
The law enforcement update will be provided on Wednesday May 4, 2011, 10 AM, at the Police Chiefs Association meeting. During these meetings Blue Wing will present options based on available frequency spectrum. These will be working meetings and your participation is critical to the ultimate system design that will be recommended.

Spill reporting - The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has provided the following guidance to determine the threshold for reporting petroleum spills:
Petroleum spills must be reported to the NYSDEC unless all of the following criteria are met:
• The spill is known to be less than 5 gallons, and
• The spill is contained and under control of the spiller, and
• The spill has not and will not reach the state’s water or any land, and
• The spill is cleaned up within two hours of discovery
Should a spill result in potential impacts to public safety (ie odors inside buildings), the spill must also be reported to the NYSDEC.
Unreportable spills could be related to a MVA where less than 5 gallons of auto fluids or motor fuel spilled to, and contained to, pavement and cleaned up within two hours of the incident.