On November 19, 2017, the FDNY Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness, in conjunction with the Nassau County Fire Commission, and the Nassau County Office of the Fire Marshal, conducted a full-scale exercise in the Borough of Queens to assess the interagency operations, communications and information-sharing at all levels due to an emergency incident requiring mutual aid from Nassau County to New York City.
Units from FDNY Divisions 13 and 14 and nine separate Nassau County departments participated in multi-unit drills throughout eastern Queens. Simulated mutual aid was requested through FDOC by the Queens dispatchers, resulting in the deployment of Nassau County units to five FDNY firehouses.
Nassau County engines and ladders were teamed up with FDNY engine and ladder companies to form multi-agency firefighting task forces. These five task forces then had to complete the following four basic fireground objectives: Nassau County engine hook up to NYC hydrant and flow water; Nassau County engine relay water to FDNY engine; Nassau County engine supply FDNY tower ladder/ladder pipe; and FDNY engine supply Nassau County tower ladder or ladder pipe.
Communications throughout the exercise were coordinated by the Queens Dispatch Office, Nassau County Fire Communications Bureau, FDNY Field Communications Unit and the Nassau County Field Communications Unit.
Over 130 officers, firefighters, dispatchers and fire marshals participated in the exercise resulting in enhanced multi-agency cooperation.
– Fire News story and photos provided by FDNY BC John J. Nykiel
