Dangerous Incident at Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley

A large number of emergency personnel responded to the Eastern Correctional Facility on Thursday for reports of a hazardous materials incident.

Numerous residents who live near the Eastern Correctional Facility at 30 Institution Rd, Napanoch, NY, are reporting that they witnessed a large number of first responders from numerous departments in Ulster County, NY, arrive at the prison on Thursday afternoon.

Incident at Eastern Correctional Facility in Napanoch, New York

Eyewitnesses reported Thursday that members of the Napanoch Fire Department and the Kingston Fire Department HAZMAT Team arrived at the prison to investigate an incident that involved hazardous materials. It's unclear what led to the investigation or if any hazardous materials were found, but the Kingston Fire Department's Hazmat team confirmed their arrival at the correctional facility on Facebook.

"Earlier today the Hazmat responded mutual aid to the Napanoch Fire District. The team assisted with air monitoring and product sampling."

 

The incident was also confirmed on the Ulster County Fire/Rescue Incidents Facebook page: "Currently there is a hazardous materials incident going on at Eastern Correctional Facility in the Napanoch Fire District."

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The results of the hazmat team's investigation haven't been released yet, but when they are made public, we will update this article.

Prison Problems in the Hudson Valley

This incident comes a few weeks after sources confirmed staff at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Sullivan County, NY, had reportedly been getting sick for approximately two weeks back in February. News 12 first reported that they were investigating concerns for staff at the state prison after they received tips from several sources inside the facility that alleged some staff members got so sick they needed "lifesaving treatment".

A short time later, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision confirmed to the news outlet that a total of eight correction officers got sick at the facility since late January. All of the staff were reportedly suffering from similar symptoms, including nausea, dizziness, and, in at least two of the incidents, seizure-like symptoms.