Broken Thermometer Brings County Hazmat Team To Somers

SOMERS, NY — A broken thermometer at home in the town of Somers brought out the county’s hazmat team.

The Somers Volunteer Fire Department said first responders were sent around 7:30 p.m. Saturday to a Lakeview Terrace address for a reported mercury spill.

Authorities said that, due to the nature of the initial call, the Westchester County DES Hazardous Materials Team was also requested to go to the scene.

After arrival, first responders and a hazmat tech surveyed the home and evacuated the residents.

People in the home said a mercury thermometer had broken, and mercury was spilled on the floor of a bathroom on the first floor.

One of the residents said they had tried to clean up the spill and had possibly come into contact with the mercury.

Another hazmat team member used a detection meter to test for mercury and found it, officials said. They backed out of the home, and a second hazmat team entered to conduct a more thorough search for the mercury. It was found in the bathroom and the kitchen.

The team stabilized the scene, ensuring there was no further damage.

Six people and three pets in the home were checked for mercury exposure and none was found.

Four residents and three pets were displaced from the home until a specially trained cleanup contractor could come to dispose of the spilled mercury.