FDNY: 54 Workers Removed From Scaffolding After Power Outage Hits Rochdale Village In Jamaica
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A massive power outage Wednesday afternoon affected nearly 20 buildings in the Rochdale Village housing complex in Jamaica, Queens.
As CBS 2's Carolyn Gusoff reported, police and fire crews responded in force Wednesday after power went out in the 20-building complex, trapping people in elevators and on scaffolds.
Power went out in Rochdale Village around 3 p.m. Wednesday, and residents were stuck between floors in pitch dark elevators.
"The elevator just went bump, and the lights went out, and we got stuck, and they had to get to come and get us out," said resident Tyrone Davis. "It was frightening, because it was dark; pitch black in there; pitch black in the elevator. And you get stuck on the elevator for 15 minutes with no ventilation."
"I grabbed onto my neighbor here, and I was yelling, and he was trying to calm me down -- because he knows I have a phobia of elevators," said resident Melissa Morgan. "I don't like elevators."
Fire crews went building to building and floor to floor rescuing trapped residents. Elderly residents were trapped on higher floors in the 13-story buildings.
"I got my flashlight, and some candy because I'm diabetic, and I walked down the stairs very, very slowly - just three (stories). Thank God it's just three," said resident Irene Vines. "But I'm worried about the people on the top floor, and they're on oxygen."
FDNY: 54 Workers Removed From Scaffolding After Power Outage Hits Rochdale Village In Jamaica
About 25 people were rescued from the elevators, fire officials said.
The power outage also left 54 scaffolding workers in limbo. They were doing brick work outside the buildings and had to activate emergency switches to get down manually.
Two were on a balcony and had to be rescued by the FDNY.
"All of them got down safely," said project manager Claude Laborde. "I feel so great and blessed."
One woman told 1010 WINS' Holli Haerr she saw the terrified workers as the power went out.
"They couldn't come down because the power went out, so once you see the people can't come down, they're beating the scaffold, and some of them are pulling on it and yanking on it," she said. "That's scary."
FDNY: 54 Workers Removed From Scaffolding After Power Outage Hits Rochdale Village In Jamaica
Rochdale Village calls itself "The Jewel of Jamaica," and has 20 buildings spread across 120 acres.
On its website, Rochdale Village touts its power plant, which it says "generates all the electrical power, heating, air-conditioning and domestic hot water services for the entire residential development and two shopping malls."
The plant "produces its power independently with no interconnection to any outside utility company."
The FDNY had to check all of the 121 elevators in the complex before the emergency generators were turned on.
Power had been restored to the complex by 6:20 p.m. Building management was not sure why the power went out and why the emergency generators did not kick in right away.
As CBS 2's Jessica Schneider reported, the power plant is being upgraded, and it is possible that it played a role in the shutdown.
Four people suffered minor injuries, according to the FDNY.
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