Stats From Sandy: Record Number Of Emergency Calls

In his report to the Clarkstown Town Board, Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the department received a record number of calls during Hurricane Sandy and in the four days following the storm.  Sullivan recapped the department’s effort at the board’s Thursday workshop meeting.

From Monday, Oct. 29 through Friday, Nov. 2, the police received 7,607 calls with 1,900 of them on the 29th.  During that same time period, the department received 1,674 calls for assistance and 237 of them were placed on the 29th.

Sullivan said the town’s Emergency Operations Center was up and running at 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct 29, the day the storm reached Rockland County.  Working with members of town departments were representatives sent by Orange & Rockland. Sullivan said the police assigned an officer to work directly with the highway department and O&R and an officer was assigned to the county Emergency Operations Center.

He said 16,000 messages were sent to town residents using the Evergreen communications system.  The department’s armored car and two officers were on standby for medical or other emergencies during the height of the storm.