Title
Special recognition of individuals who responded to the Beach Park chemical spill on April 25, 2019.
Body
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, during the early hours on Thursday, April 25, 2019; emergency officials promptly responded to a toxic spill of anhydrous ammonia on Green Bay Road in Beach Park, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, the spill released a poisonous cloud of gas, impacting the residents of Beach Park and the surrounding areas with life-threatening exposure to the gas, which may cause difficulty breathing, chest pains, blisters, burns, and more; and
WHEREAS, Lake County Sheriff's deputies, firefighters, and officers from nearly 20 area police departments quickly responded to the incident ; and
WHEREAS, the incident was increased to a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), a Fifth Level Ambulance response, and a Second Level Hazardous Materials (Haz Mat) response; and
WHEREAS, a shelter-in-place order was issued to everyone within a one-mile radius of the incident. Overall, a total of 25 ambulances transported 40 people to various hospitals, including Vista East Hospital in Waukegan, The Veteran's Administration Hospital in North Chicago, Lake Forest Hospital, Condell Hospital in Libertyville, and St. Catherine's Hospital in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Seven people were placed in critical condition; and
WHEREAS, among the transported were 11 firefighters, one Zion police officer, and two Lake County Sheriff's officers: Sergeant Kyle Brown and Deputy Marcus Bernardy; all of whom risked their lives to ensure the safety of the individuals affected by the spill; and
WHEREAS, emergency crews completed over 100 door-to-door checks on residents in the area until the shelter-in-place order was eventually lifted; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the Illinois State Police, the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency are all working together to investigate the i...
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