Hal Newman, a former paramedic who worked for several years in Baltimore, expressed his shock at the disaster at the microphone of Benoit Dutrizac on QUB radio on Tuesday.
According to him, the emotional impact on the community will be significant, and that’s without mentioning the consequences on traffic in the region. Mr. Newman highlighted the importance of infrastructure like the Key Bridge to the residents of Baltimore. Moreover, this tragedy plunged the city into pain and uncertainty.
Asked whether the Port of Montreal is equipped to respond to a tragedy like this, the former paramedic was very clear.
“It’s a scenario (that) no one has thought of,” he said.
Mr. Newman underlined the great attachment that unites Montreal and Baltimore. Our two fire departments are twinned, an initiative in which Hal Newman participated. To this end, firefighters from the American city come to the metropolis every summer for training with Montreal teams.
“Our firefighters are also going there. There is a great bond between the cities,” said Mr. Newman.
The collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore plunged the city into an unprecedented crisis. At around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the container ship Dali collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the 1.6-mile structure to collapse in seconds like a house of cards. This tragedy led to the disappearance of at least six people, mainly road workers who were on the bridge at the time of the tragedy.
