Mineola FD Responds to Mineola Flood (07/18/07)
 As torrential rain poured from the sky on Wednesday July 18, 2007 at 8:09AM Nassau County Fire Communications received a report of vehicles trapped in rising floodwaters at the intersection of Elm Place and Jericho Turnpike. Mineola Fire Department First Assistant Chief Robert Connolly began responding to this assignment and was immediately confronted with a combination of blinding rain, severe flooding and numerous vehicles disabled on Jericho Turnpike rendering the roadway impassible. Recognizing the potential for numerous emergency calls to begin coming in, the Chief advised Fire Communications to have all Mineola FD units stand by in quarters until he could assess the scene at Jericho and Elm.
 Upon arrival at the LIRR Overpass, The Chief was met by a Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corp member who had been in the vicinity and spotted the vehicles. The MVAC member had already waded out into the water to confirm no occupants were trapped. While on scene, several more vehicles nearly entered the flood and had to be turned back. Heavy Rescue Unit 1610 responded to the scene and began cordoning off the area to prevent further vehicles and pedestrians from entering the flooded roadway. Meanwhile, Engine 167 was assigned to answer an Automatic Fire Alarm on Windsor Ave.
 Back at Mineola FD Headquarters, Second Assistant Chief Joseph Pratt assigned a firefighter to man the Radio Room to coordinate the department’s response to emergency calls for assistance from the residents. Chief Pratt also began to assemble crews ready to deploy to the anticipated alarms. De-Watering pumps were added to Engine 161 and Ladder 165. Chief Pratt responded with the Headquarters companies to the vicinity of Memorial park for flooding. Chief Pratt coordinated a response to the Mineola Memorial Library were flood waters were rapidly impinging upon the building. Members of Engine One and Truck Two worked diligently to keep the flood waters back, pumping as quickly as they could to prevent further damage.
 Heavy Rescue 1610 was reassigned to a flooding condition on Coolidge Ave and Saville Road. Firefighters from Truck Two secured the scene and made sure no one was trapped in their vehicles at that location. At 9:45 the Department was alerted for a Automatic Fire Alarm at the Mineola Middle School. Arriving units found extensive flood damage which activated the Fire Alarms. At 10:53 Mineola FD units were off to another Automatic Fire Alarm at 222 North Station Plaza. This alarm was activated by a smoke condition created by a person attempting to dry towels by placing them in a microwave Oven. At 11:18AM a call came in for a Building Fire at 44E Jericho Turnpike. Upon arrival the Chiefs were met by an occupant who indicated that the electrical fixtures were sparking and water had completely filled the basement. Firefighters shut down the electrical service in the building and inspected the premise with a Thermal Imaging camera to insure there was no hidden fire in the ceiling or walls.
In the span of approximately three hours dozens of Mineola’s volunteer firefighters answered the call to duty, despite the fact that for some the damage was hitting home. There were no reported injuries during this event and Mineola firefighters were released from duty at 11:45AM.
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