Suffolk 1st Responders To Conduct Preparedness Drill Near Fire Island

LONG ISLAND, NY — Suffolk's first responders are expected to conduct large-scale urban search and rescue drills this weekend, near Fire Island National Seashore, in preparation for summer, according to a media advisory.

The county's Urban Search and Rescue Team will host the training exercise to practice a deployment to the Fire Island communities in anticipation of high tourism numbers, potentially severe weather, and natural disasters, officials say.

It will coordinate exercises and operations to simulate evacuations, rope and collapse rescues, and wide-area searches, as well as damage evaluations and hazardous materials response, according to officials.

In addition to the county's Urban Search and Rescue team, participating agencies will include the Federal Emergency Management Agency's New York Urban Search and Rescue Team, the state's Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and park police, as well as Fire Island National Seashore representatives.

The training exercise will also include the county's Suffolk police's Marine Bureau, the West Islip Fire Department, and the Town of Islip Harbormaster.

Suffolk officials are expected to discuss the drills Saturday at a press briefing at Robert Moses State Park in Babylon.