3/11/2018 - The East River Helicopter Tragedy - The staging area for the rescue and recovery was below the 34th Street Pier, over 50 blocks away from the scene of this terrible accident. This highlights that: 1) the proposed Pier 90 location for the NYCFerry landing may not be emergency vehicle accessible; and 2) in addition to a ferry terminal and hub, the MTS should also be considered for an FDNY Fireboat pier and/or an NYPD Harbor Command pier.
In addition to an NYCFerry terminal and ferry hub, the MTS might be large enough to also house an important addition to the existing primary FDNY Marine Unit Stations to help protect the upper East River, the Harlem River, and Hell Gate/Long Island Sound including Roosevelt Island, Queens and the Bronx. This should be part of the study.
There is currently a large FDNY Marine Unit on the Hudson River – Marine 1 at Pier 53, and a new barracks, Marine 9 in Stapleton, Staten Island. The FDNY Marine Division Headquarters and Marine Unit 6, is located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard which is 6½ miles downriver from the MTS and over 4 miles downriver from the Southernmost point of Roosevelt Island. There is no FDNY Marine Unit closer to the Upper East River, Roosevelt Island, the Harlem River and Hell Gate/Long Island Sound.
At these FDNY facilities, vessels are docked in the open which in bad weather conditions must certainly add to the challenges already faced by New York’s Bravest.
Re-purposed to include an additional FDNY Marine Unit, the MTS could provide modern weather protected piers and quarters, and importantly also provide shorter critical response times to emergencies at Hell Gate, the upper East River (the site of Sunday's crash), Roosevelt Island, the Harlem River and the NYC portions of the Long Island Sound including Queens, and the Bronx. This is not just for protecting the waterways themselves but all of the construction and other activities along the shorelines as well - especially with all of the new and extensive construction taking place along those waterfronts.
Because of the ramp access from York Avenue, there would be easy access for the FDNY to reach a re-purposed MTS from York Avenue as well.
Sources
http://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/index.page http://marine1fdny.com/
http://www.nyfd.com/marine/Marine_6.html
http://www.americasfireboat.org/engine-78-marine-unit-5/
Google Earth
In addition to an NYCFerry terminal and ferry hub, the MTS might be large enough to also house an important addition to the existing primary FDNY Marine Unit Stations to help protect the upper East River, the Harlem River, and Hell Gate/Long Island Sound including Roosevelt Island, Queens and the Bronx. This should be part of the study.
There is currently a large FDNY Marine Unit on the Hudson River – Marine 1 at Pier 53, and a new barracks, Marine 9 in Stapleton, Staten Island. The FDNY Marine Division Headquarters and Marine Unit 6, is located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard which is 6½ miles downriver from the MTS and over 4 miles downriver from the Southernmost point of Roosevelt Island. There is no FDNY Marine Unit closer to the Upper East River, Roosevelt Island, the Harlem River and Hell Gate/Long Island Sound.
At these FDNY facilities, vessels are docked in the open which in bad weather conditions must certainly add to the challenges already faced by New York’s Bravest.
Re-purposed to include an additional FDNY Marine Unit, the MTS could provide modern weather protected piers and quarters, and importantly also provide shorter critical response times to emergencies at Hell Gate, the upper East River (the site of Sunday's crash), Roosevelt Island, the Harlem River and the NYC portions of the Long Island Sound including Queens, and the Bronx. This is not just for protecting the waterways themselves but all of the construction and other activities along the shorelines as well - especially with all of the new and extensive construction taking place along those waterfronts.
Because of the ramp access from York Avenue, there would be easy access for the FDNY to reach a re-purposed MTS from York Avenue as well.
Sources
http://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/index.page http://marine1fdny.com/
http://www.nyfd.com/marine/Marine_6.html
http://www.americasfireboat.org/engine-78-marine-unit-5/
Google Earth