OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Tony Muscarella, Third Assistant Chief of the Sheridan Fire Department urged the Sheridan Town Board to be prepared for the total eclipse set to take place on Monday, April 8, 2024.

SHERIDAN — Just after 3 p.m. on April 8, 2024, the world as we know it in Western New York will momentarily go dark.

A total eclipse will consume the sky, and as the moon passes between the sun and Earth, the face of the sun will be entirely blocked and the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.

As a result, members of the Sheridan Fire Department attended a recent Town Board meeting to share what their department is doing to prepare for the rare event.

“It’s going to be coming to this county no matter what. … We want to be prepared,” said Tony Muscarella, third assistant chief of the Sheridan Fire Department.

Muscarella said in meetings he has attended with Chautauqua County Emergency Medical Services, the event has been downplayed. However, he and his department want to be prepared for what he believes could be a potential “disaster.”

A similar event occurred in August 2017 in the western portion of the United States. Based on conversations and research done regarding that occurrence, the Sheridan Fire Department has taken a proactive approach.

As Chautauqua County is located along the path of totality, making the region an optimal viewing point for the eclipse, the Sheridan Fire Department expects approximately 1 million vehicles to travel through Western New York on or around the day of the event. With the increased traffic along Interstate 90 and its alternate routes, such as Route 5 and Route 20, the fire department expects major congestion of the roads around the time of the eclipse. The fire department believes many vehicles will stop on the side of the road to observe the event.

“People from all over the place are going to be coming to this area to witness this,” Muscarella said. “They are enthusiasts. They want to see total darkness.”

Muscarella has already heard rumblings of t-shirts to commemorate the event, and even a dark beer called an “eclipse beer.”

“Everybody and their brother is going to want to get in on this,” Muscarella said. “… I wouldn’t be surprised if you folks see food trucks scattered about. If you own a large property, you might find somebody camped out in your backyard.”

Also of concern, the fire department believes there will be some people who are not prepared or aware of the eclipse, which they anticipate will lead to calls flooding their emergency dispatchers.

In the event of an emergency around the time of the eclipse, the fire department is concerned about their ability to reach the site of the emergency because of the congested roads. To prepare for this, the fire department is planning to station its vehicles at various points across the town.

“What we’re planning on doing is we’re going to have firefighters standby at the Fire Hall,” Muscarella said. “We’re going to position our apparatus in different locations within our fire district because if the roads are that congested, we won’t be able to get to your house to rescue somebody.”

The fire department noted the potential of inclement weather causing a need to shelter stranded motorists. The average temperature at the time of the eclipse is 49 degrees. It is also during a burn ban, but with the increased traffic and guests likely filing into campgrounds, the likelihood of a fire spreading is increased.

The fire hall will be prepared to serve as an emergency shelter site, and the Town Board suggested the Community Center as another option in an emergency. Sheridan Bay Park is also under consideration to open for the event.

“The more we learn, we’ll share it with you,” Muscarella told the Town Board. “Everybody is going to be involved. Keep your fingers crossed that it turns out to not be as bad as we’re thinking.”