All Putnam County Roadways Ordered Closed, Shelter Location

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After discussing the current weather situation with Sheriff Robert Langley, Highway Commissioner Fred Pena and Bureau of Emergency Services Commissioner Ken Clair, County Executive MaryEllen Odell issued an executive order to ban all non-emergency traffic from roadways in Putnam County.

“The snow is predicted to be very heavy with wind speeds increasing over the next few hours, we need to keep the roadways clear so the highway crews and emergency workers can do their jobs” said County Executive Odell.

This ban mandates that employers within Putnam County release all employees that are not essential to the continued operation of their business

County Executive Odell also met with leaders from NYSEG, the National Guard, Emergency Management, Kent PD, Carmel PD, Sherriff’s Department and County Emergency Services to review the continuing power outages and impact of the current storm.

“With this second winter storm coming into our area just 5 days after the first one, we still have residents without power that are now facing a second hurdle” said County Executive Odell. “Our highway crews have been working non-stop since Friday as have our emergency responders” she continued.

With 3855 residents still without power (3841 NYSEG, 14 Central Hudson) utility crews from NYSEG, Central Hudson and a large number of mutual aid crews, continue work to restore.

County Executive Odell reminds residents that comfort facilities are available at:
Town of Southeast town Hall from 7:00am till 5:00pm
Knight’s of Columbus, 10 Fair Street, Carmel NY from 9:00am to 4:00pm
Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association located at 15 Mt Ebo Road, Brewster NY from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

For Wednesday March 7, 2018 and Thursday March 8, 2018 the Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association will remain an overnight shelter. The shelter is located at 15 Mt. Ebo Road in Brewster NY. This is being coordinated by the American Red Cross with Putnam County Emergency Management and the Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association.

On Thursday March 8, 2018 Villa Barone Hilltop Manor will be open to the public from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. They will be providing soup and a place to charge electronic equipment.

The NY State Police report that Interstate 84 is closed from Connecticut to Pennsylvania for Commercial vehicles, tractor trailers, this includes box trucks, high profile trucks and buses.

Interstate 684 is closed from Interstate 84 to RT 287 for Commercial vehicles, tractor trailers, this includes box trucks, high profile trucks and includes buses.

“With the second storm currently in our area I remind everyone to check on family, friends and neighbors to make sure they are okay during this difficult time” said County Executive Odell.

Putnam County 9-1-1 remains fully manned and should be used for any emergency requests for Police, Fire or EMS.

Please continue to monitor NY-Alert for updates

Villa Barone Hilltop Manor opens its doors to the community on Thursday, March 8, 2018 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm offering hot soup, a chance to charge electronic equipment and warmth

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As Putnam County endures another major winter storm within one week we continue to see an outpouring of compassion from the community. Villa Barone Hilltop Manor has invited the public to join them for warmth, food and conversation. Villa Barone Hilltop Manor is located at 466 Route 6 in Mahopac.

The idea for a community family evening came to Villa Barone Hilltop Manor’s owner Nick Crecco who said “Villa Barone has been a big part of the Putnam County community and we want to give back to the residents who have had to endure two storms, lack of electricity and uncertainty”.

Villa Barone will open its door to the community Thursday, March 8, 2018 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and will offer hot soup, a chance to charge electronic equipment and a warm friendly place to gather.

“It is open to all and we hope that you will take advantage, please join us and come out and socialize” said Crecco.

Villa Barone Hilltop Manor, 466 Route 6, Mahopac, NY. If you have any question please call Villa Barone Hilltop Manor at 845-628-6600.

9,680 NYSEG customers remain without power-Overnight shelters available-www.putnamcountyny.gov

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The Office of Emergency Management reports that as of 4:30pm 9,680 Putnam County NYSEG customers are still without power. This is down from a high of 25,700.  Crews from NYSEG and mutual aid response teams continue to work for full restoration.

For Tuesday March 6, 2018 overnight shelters for individuals who can’t go to friends or family will be at Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association which is located at 15 Mt Ebo, Brewster NY.
This shelter will be coordinated by the Red Cross in partnership with the host organizations (Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association) and Putnam County Government.

The following comfort stations will open for Thursday 3/7/18:

Knight’s of Columbus, 10 Fair Street, Carmel NY from 9:00am to 6:00pm

Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association located at 15 Mt Ebo Road, Brewster NY from 9:00am to 6:00pm.

With another major winter storm expected to impact the County, Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell has ordered all Putnam County Government Offices, with the exception of essential services to be closed on Wednesday, 3/7/18. “After meeting with the Putnam County ICS team and reviewing the weather I feel we need to ensure that our employees remain safe during the second major event in one week” said County Executive Odell.

This includes Putnam County Moves, our public transportation system, Croton Falls Commuters, any fixed route PART System, ParaTransit, Veteran’s Transports and Pre-K/EI Transportation to schools in Putnam and Westchester Counties.

The closing also includes all senior activities operated by the Office for Senior Resources.

It is expected that the County will resume a normal schedule on Thursday March 8, 2018.

Please check on neighbors, friends and family during this difficult time.

Putnam County 9-1-1 remains fully operational and should be used for any emergency requests for Police, Fire or EMS.

Please monitor NY-Alert and www.putnamcountyny.gov for updates.

All County Offices Open For Business As Usual, Monday March 5, 2018 Including Public Transportation

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Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell has announced that all Putnam County Government Offices will open on their normal schedule for Monday, March 5, 2018. This includes all Putnam County Public Transportation Services.

“In order for us to continue to address the many issues facing our residents following this major Nor’easter, it is imperative that County Government be open to the public”, said County Executive MaryEllen Odell from the County Emergency Operations Center where she has remained to oversee the numerous response activities.

Residents in need of assistance whether storm related or a normal business matter are encouraged to reach out to their local or county government offices on Monday.

Putnam County 9-1-1 remains fully manned and should be used for any emergency requests for Police, Fire or EMS.

List of overnight shelters available for residents 3/4/18

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Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell announced that there will be limited overnight accommodations for Putnam County residents who have been impacted by the storm and remain without power.

Putnam County in partnership with the Putnam County Sherriff’s Department, the American Red Cross, Putnam Hospital Center and Garrison Fire Department will open two overnight facilities:
Putnam Hospital Center which is located at 670 Stoneleigh Avenue, Carmel, NY
Garrison Fire Department located at 1616 Route 9, Garrison NY

Both locations will open starting at 6:00pm and remain open overnight for those residents who have no power and are unable to stay with friends or relatives.

County Executive Odell states “It makes me proud to have such great community partners like Putnam Hospital Center and Garrison FD who stepped up to help our residents in their time of need. Many other community agencies have provided assistance during this storm as well and we thank them too!”

“Are You Ready” 2017-2018 Edition Putnam County Indian Point Emergency Guide

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Take a look at our latest Indian Point Emergency Guide!

Click here to view!

 

 

 

 

The warmer weather is here, and so is boating season! Our Sheriff’s Department is offering Boater Safety Courses, as well as Vessel Inspections

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The warmer weather is here, and so is boating season! We want you to stay safe here in Putnam County. Our Sheriff’s Department is offering Boater Safety Courses, as well as Vessel Inspections at the Garrison Yacht Club, Oscawana Lake Marina, Mahopac Marina and MacDonald Marina.

2016 Boater Safety Course

Vessel Inspection Schedule

  • Garrison Yacht Club – Garrison Landing, GarrisonNY 10516 on June 4th 9AM–1PM
  • Oscawana Lake Marina – 96 Dunderberg Road, Putnam Valley NY 10579 on June 4th, 1PM–4PM
  • Mahopac Marina – 897 South Lake Blvd, MahopacNY 10541 on June 5th, 9AM–2PM
  • MacDonald Marina – 1 Marina Dr., Mahopac NY10541on June 12th, 9AM–2PM

Visit the Putnam County Sheriff’s department at https://www.putnamsheriff.com/

First Case of Zika Virus Is Confirmed in Putnam County

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BREWSTER, NY—One Putnam County resident has been confirmed positive for Zika virus and a second additional case is being tested, announced the Putnam County Department of Health today. Both residents had recently travelled out of the country. The current case count in New York State is 16 confirmed infections.

“We are working with our local physicians and the New York State Department of Health to monitor and test residents with recent travel to a Zika-affected area,” said Michael J. Nesheiwat, M.D., Interim Commissioner of Health. “Symptoms of Zika infection are usually mild. Male travelers without symptoms do not require testing. However, all pregnant women—with or without symptoms—who have travelled to a Zika-affected region should be tested, because of a link to microcephaly or other birth defects.”

Zika virus, which is spread by infected mosquitos, has been appearing around the continental United States, mostly in travelers who have visited a Zika-affected area. One lone case in Texas is being investigated in a sexual partner of a traveler from one of the affected areas.

The situation regarding Zika virus has been changing as new information develops. The Centers for Disease Control have set up a dedicated website at cdc.gov/zika and the New York State Department of Health has established a Zika Information Line: 1-888-364-4723.

Testing is currently not available through commercial laboratories. Residents who have travelled to an area with Zika infection should contact their personal healthcare provider who will work with the

Putnam County Department of Health (PCDOH) to facilitate the proper testing procedure through the NYSDOH laboratory at Wadsworth Center. Wadsworth is one of only three state laboratories in the country equipped to perform the screening and confirmatory tests of Zika antibodies and other related viruses.

To date local transmission of Zika infection has been identified in 30 countries and territories,

including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Caribbean. Further spread in the region may occur. Prior to 2015, outbreaks of the virus had occurred only in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Last May the first confirmed cases were reported in Brazil.

The Health Department’s mission is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community, composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit the PCDOH website at www.putnamcountyny.com/health or visit the social media sites on Facebook at www.facebook.com/putnamhealth, www.facebook.com/RunWalkPutnam, www.instagram.com/PutnamHealthNY and Twitter @PutnamHealthNY.

Putnam First Responders Conduct Emergency Exercise with Metro-North

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CARMEL, N.Y. – County Executive MaryEllen Odell observed the full-scale joint emergency exercise between the first responders of Putnam County and the MTA Metro-North Railroad that was held on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Metro-North Railroad Brewster Yard. The Brewster Fire Department was the host department of the event.

“We never want to see the scenarios happen in real life, but it is good to know that the MTA Metro-North Railroad and our first responders are prepared with the tools and knowledge to handle these types of incidents,” Odell said. “Seeing everyone in action reaffirmed my confidence in the ability of the first responders who are committed to keeping the residents of Putnam County safe.”

In the drill scenario, a passenger train traveling north along Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem line encountered a motor vehicle impeding the right-of-way. The train engaged its emergency brakes, but was unable to stop in time. Passengers of the train in the front two cars sustained injuries as a result of the impact.

“Ensuring the safety and security of our customers, employees, and the public at large is the most important thing we do,” said Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti. “We strive to prevent accidents from taking place, but nevertheless, part of being safe means being ready to act quickly and carefully in the event that something does go wrong. Our exercise in Brewster helped us to do that and we appreciate the assistance of County Executive Odell, Mayor [James] Schoenig and all of the teams of first responders who participated with us in the exercise.”

The Metro-North staff and the first responders went through the response and recovery actions of the scenario. The areas of consideration were: critical transportation, operational coordination, mass search and rescue operations, public health and medical services, on-scene security, protection, and law enforcement and operational communication. The scenario included Metro-North employees, first responders and other participants who acted as victims or bystanders.

“Understanding how to handle a large-scale situation that has both injured and non-injured groups is such an important takeaway fMTA 1rom drills like this one,” said Brewster Fire Chief Tom Leather. “We are always looking to hold exercises like this one with the large corporations within Putnam’s borders. It allows our volunteers an opportunity to practice the skills they need in a safe environment, the departments gain inside information from the corporations about the emergency plans they have created and we develop working relationships with the employees of the corporations. The experience is truly valuable.”

The goal of the exercise was to ensure the participants familiarization with Metro-North’s Passenger Train Emergency Plan (PTEP), emergency response procedures, and equipment. In addition, the players were able to demonstrate incident management and coordination between the Metro-North entities, local dispatch centers and on-scene Unified Command during a complex incident. It also provided an opportunity to evaluate the rail-based search and rescue operations, management of mass casualty incident (MCI) response capabilities, including patient management and tracking, the ability to maintain a secure perimeter and facilitate crowd control and Metro-North’s and local first responders’ ability to address passengers with disabilities during emergencies.

“The value of an exercise like this is immeasurable,” said Putnam County Commissioner of the Bureau of Emergency Services Anthony Sutton. “Drills such as this put first responders together in a setting where they can observe and learn each other’s capabilities and tactics. As a first responder, you do not want to meet the members of other services for the first time at an actual crash. My hat goes off to the organizations and individuals that planned, hosted and participated in this opportunity to practice in a very realistic scenario. Putnam’s first responders learned many lessons and best practices today. Now have this learning experience to draw on should they someday face a real emergency of this nature.”

MTA 2In addition to the Brewster Fire Department and the MTA Metro-North Railroad, other participating entities include: Brewster Village Police Department, Carmel Fire Department, Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Croton Falls Fire Department, Lake Carmel Fire Department, Mahopac Falls Fire Department, Mahopac Fire Department, MTA Metro-North Railroad, MTA Police Department, New Fairfield CT Fire Department, New York State Police, North Salem Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Patterson Fire Company, Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services, Putnam County Office for People with Disabilities, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, Putnam Lake Fire Department and Transcare EMS.

Photo caption: Firefighters from the Brewster Fire Department participate in the Joint Emergency Exercise between Putnam County first responders and the MTA Metro-North Railroad. Photos provided by MTA/Patrick Cashin.

Putnam Legislature Votes Sutton in as Acting Emergency Services Commissioner

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The Putnam County Legislature confirmed the appointment of Anthony W. Sutton as the acting Commissioner of the Bureau of Emergency Services at a special meeting held on Tuesday, May 12.

The commissioner position has been vacant since January when County Executive MaryEllen Odell decided not to reappoint former Commissioner Adam Steibeling. Robert Lipton, Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Services, has been performing the duties of his job as well as that of interim commissioner, while the Legislature decided whether to fill the position.  The Legislature voted 8-0-1 to appoint Sutton in an acting capacity until pending litigation with Steibeling is resolved.

“As elected officials it is our duty to protect and preserve the health, safety and welfare of our residents,” said Ginny Nacerino, Chairwoman of the Personnel Committee and Deputy Chairwoman of the Legislature. “I believe the decision to appoint Mr. Anthony Sutton, as Commissioner of Emergency Services, in an acting capacity, clearly speaks to our Legislative priorities.  My colleagues and I recognize having strong leadership at the Bureau, without further delay, is paramount.  Putnam County is fortunate to have someone of Mr. Sutton’s caliber on board.”

Sutton has a professional history in emergency service management. He served as the Deputy Director for Operations in the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) at the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (DHSES) from 2012 to 2014 where he directed NYS Emergency Operations Center activities for more than two months during Super Storm Sandy.

Sutton’s time in emergency services includes serving as a volunteer firefighter, as a Fire District Manager and consultant. Over the years, he has overseen Fire Training, Emergency Communications and Emergency Management as well as the oversight of Special Operations Teams and management of numerous disasters at both the county and state levels.

From 2000 to 2003, Sutton was the Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Services for Westchester County. He then served as Commissioner from 2003 to 2011, managing more than 300 career and volunteer Emergency Services members.

At the 2015 State of the County address in March, Odell named Sutton as her choice to hold the commissioner position in its full capacity. The selection of Sutton came after a special Selection Committee, primarily comprised of first responders, was charged with the task of finding a qualified leader to head up the Bureau.

“I am pleased to see that the Legislature is no longer willing to let litigation hold the county back from moving forward,” said Odell. “Commissioner Sutton brings knowledge and expertise to the Bureau, which it had been lacking for too long.  I appreciate all the work Bob Lipton has been doing for the Bureau over the past few months. I know that Tony and Bob will make a great team.

Sutton’s new role is effective Tuesday, May 26.

“I am honored that the Legislature agrees with County Executive Odell and has confirmed me to lead the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services. I believe my public safety career has prepared me to take on this critical responsibility,” said Sutton.  “I am committed to utilize all my experience as I assume my role and I look forward to building on the proven success of the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services.