Then we arrived at Chelsea Piers...My ambulance was the 5th in line. There was a storage building across the street from the pier, I found out that the owner of the storage center allowed a couple of local women who donated their time and supplies to put together a makeshift dining area. The food was great! They were very nurturing and wanted to make sure that we were all well taken care of.
We waited and waited, it felt like we would be at this staging area forever. We moved closer to the departure point a few times and then there I was, the first ambulance in one of the longest lines I have ever seen. After approx 45 minutes, I was handed a NYFD radio, assigned unit ID number 71H3 and told to report to "South West Triage". I was informed to first check in at the command post at 14th street and Broadway. Having been in this area of Manhattan many times before and as the senior member in my rig, I elected to drive. Progressing down West Ave, I only began to realize the magnitude of this operation. The entire 4 lane roadway was taken over. Lane 1 had crane equipment in it, parked. This equipment ranged from Crane parts to heavy machinery. Lane 2 was for construction Vehicles, Lane 3 and 4 was for EMS and Law Enforcement vehicles. I don't think I have ever traveled from Northern Manhattan to southern Manhattan so fast. Night had fallen, all I could see was many, many NYPD officers in tactical gear and military personnel brandishing rifles. We passed the security check and proceeded to the command center.
Here is where the fiasco begins. Nobody was 100% sure where the location of SWT (South West Triage) was. I was first informed it was at the intersection of Broadway and Thames Street. So, I went on my way. Although it was very dark, unlike it has ever been in this section of Manhattan, I traversed the streets like a pro, hitting one dead end after another. Thank Hagstrom for their accurate Maps! The roads were littered with cars, trucks and debris. This occasionally forced me to make a road where there wasn't one... the sidewalks were mostly empty. We arrived at Broadway and Thames about 30 minutes later. (Click HERE to see where this is on a map) Nobody was there..... I confirmed that I was not to be the only ambulance at the SWT. I wasn't there were 4 other ambulances there and I was relief for one of them. I again asked for the confirmation on the location and this time was informed that I should proceed to Liberty street and Church Street. (Click HERE to see where this is on a map) No surprise, there was nobody here either. As a side note, it took over 40 minutes to get here because Broadway and West Street were basically one way streets heading south so we had to make our way to Williams St, and use Maiden Lane to get to Broadway. All other routes were blocked. I once again contacted Command on the radio... and getting frustrated because I know that there was another crew waiting for me to arrive so they can go home.
====NAVIGATION====
===================