Goshen, NY – Members of law enforcement gathered yesterday in Orange County for an annual event: a pre-summer safety meeting to discuss the influx of Jewish residents who will be summering upstate.
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Representatives from the New York State Police and the FBI were joined by local law enforcement, sheriffs from Orange, Sullivan and Putnam counties, local police chiefs and representatives of Catskill Regional Medical Center for the yearly meeting, held at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Goshen.
Some of the topics discussed during the meeting were general safety issues that are on the agenda every year, including pedestrian safety on country roads and traffic issues.
“There will be construction on Route 17 and we anticipate a bottleneck by Middletown where they are building a new ramp to go to the hospital by Crystal Run Road,” Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff told VIN News.
While vigilance remains crucial at all times, Sheriff Schiff said that given current information, the two escaped convicts from the Clinton Correctional Facility appear to pose no threat to the Catskills area.
“Before they found DNA evidence nobody really knew where they were but it looks like they have solid evidence that the two are hunkered up down there, far away from us,” said Sheriff Schick.
Last week’s racially motivated Charleston church shooting was one of the items on the table at yesterday’s meeting.
“We have got to be vigilant and be prepared for any situation,” said Sheriff Schick. “We are living in dangerous times.”
Concerns about terrorist threats are always present and participants stressed the importance of always being on alert.
“We discussed ISIS and lone wolf attackers and we always emphasize if you see something, say something,” said Sheriff Schick. “If you see something that makes you uncomfortable call us and if you see something that looks like an imminent danger then call 911 immediately. They will pinpoint where you are and they will send you the closest car.”
Caution is the buzz word of the summer, according to Sullivan County Emergency Services Commissioner Dick Martinkovic.
“There are threats in the United States and all over the world and we all have to keep our eyes open,” said Commissioner Martinkovic.
Commissioner Martinkovic noted that the importance of having proper smoke detectors in every bungalow, camp and residence cannot be overstated, especially in the light of last summer’s tragic fire that took the life of a three year old Brooklyn boy, as previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/1Izi5rV).
“We have got to encourage everyone to sleep with the protection of a smoke detector and visitors should demand from whoever they rent from that one be provided in working condition,” stressed Commissioner Martinkovic. “If not, go out and get one and install it. They are cheap enough and hopefully will protect everyone in case of a developing fire.
We believe that what happened last year could have been prevented. We are working hard to encourage camp owners, summer owners and year round property owners to sleep with the protection of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.”
Commissioner Martinkovic said that Sullivan County is looking forward to welcoming the many visitors that are expected to travel upstate this summer.
“We want everyone to be safe, to come and enjoy their summer and, and most importantly, to be able to go home safely at the end of the summer.”
As one who remains in Brooklyn for the summer, I look forward to this mass exodus.
I do aswell. Parking is so much easier.
Something odd about splitting up a husband and wife for the summer.