Local Firefighters Gearing Up for Hurricane Irene

Local firefighters are gearing up for Hurricane Irene and will be on standby at firehouses ready to respond to emergencies, but will not be able to venture out during parts of the storm.

Wantagh Fire Chief Jeff Lindgren said all of his firefighters will be on standby starting at around 9 p.m. tonight at six of the seven stations. The one station house firefighters will not be manned at is on 2291 Neptune Ave. in Seaford, which is located south of Merrick Road in a . The Wantagh Fire District serves over 18,000 homes and 700 businesses in Wantagh and portions of Seaford, Levittown, Bellmore, East Meadow as well as J and TOBAY Beach in Massapequa.

“We’ll be stationed at the fire houses until the storm is over,” said Lindgren, who added that plenty of food and cots to sleep in are being provided to keep the volunteer firefighters comfortable.

Lindgren emphasized that while the firefighters are ready to respond to emergencies during the storm, they will not be able to send out trucks when sustained winds exceed 55 miles per hour, a standard rule that applies to all fire departments.

“When you have sustained winds of over 55 miles per hour it will blow over fire trucks so that is what we have that standard,” said Lindgren. “We can’t put our apparatus or personnel in harm’s way.”

Lindgren said if somebody does encounter an emergency when sustained winds are over 55 miles per hour they will have to wait for the gusts top die down before firefighters can respond with equipment.

Michael Muccio, chief of the Wantagh-Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corp. (WLVAC), said the agency has prepared for Hurricane Irene by placing EMS crews with advanced life support capabilities on standby at its headquarters He urged people to call their emergency number for medical services, “only if there is a dire need.” The agency's emergency phone number is 516-742-3300.