Mercury Spill At Floral Park Pediatrician's Office Prompts Hazmat Response: FD

FLORAL PARK, NY — Firefighters responded to a pediatrician's office in Floral Park on Tuesday for a mercury spill report, fire marshals said.

An employee dropped a blood pressure machine down a staircase, causing the machine to break and release mercury onto the stairs, the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office said.

The Floral Park Fire Department responded to the Jericho Turnpike office at 3:07 p.m. with Chief O'Conner in command, who requested the NCFM HazMat Response Division to assist, fire officials said.

The HazMat team was able to confine the spill and isolate the area, but due to the tread style of the stairs and the nature of the business, fire marshals directed office personnel to hire an environmental cleanup contractor to ensure the spill was cleaned according to EPA guidelines, fire marshals said.

According to fire marshals, the HazMat team stayed on the scene until 7 p.m. for the contractor to arrive.