Press Release
Contact: Ryan Murphy
631.702.1700
Town of Southampton, NY June 25, 2021 —The Town of Southampton took delivery of a new Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Response Vehicle on June 21, 2021. The unit was manufactured by Pierce Manufacturing in Wisconsin during the COVID-19 pandemic and sold to the Town by Firematic Supply Company of Yaphank.
The new HazMat vehicle will take the place of an aging 1991 vehicle purchased secondhand by the Town in 1996 from the Hauppauge Fire Department. The new unit features abundant storage space for all the specialized equipment utilized by the team during HazMat response. The unit also features a small research laboratory/work space where substance identification, and command and control activities can take place.
“This is a welcome new addition to our response capabilities and we are thankful for the support of the Town Board in the purchase this vehicle for us,” stated Chief Fire Marshal John Rankin. Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni, who sponsored the resolution to purchase the vehicle said, “This vehicle is an investment into the safety of our community. The Town of Southampton has an excellent HazMat Team which provides protection to all of our residents and visitors. I am proud to support the activities of our Town HazMat Team.”
“Southampton Town is host to countless high profile events, residents and visitors. The Southampton Town HazMat Team is faced with unique challenges and demands that are unlike those of any other Town in our area. The addition of this vehicle will allow our team to stay at the top of its game in its ability to support the needs of our community,” stated Public Safety and Emergency Management Administrator Ryan Murphy.
Since January 2021, the Southampton Town Fire Marshal’s Office and Southampton Town HazMat Team have responded to over 24 calls of a hazardous materials nature. These calls have ranged from fuel spills to unidentified powder incidents. The new HazMat vehicle will be having equipment mounted on it in the coming days and the unit should be in-service to respond to calls very soon. “Although this vehicle is an example of an emergency preparedness item that you purchase but never hope to have to use, I am glad that we have positioned our HazMat Team to effectively respond to the safety needs of our Town,” said Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.
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