Hudson River landing tests emergency response plans

Within minutes of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 landing in the Hudson River after takeoff January 15, news of the incident reached New York City’s disaster response network, which immediately sprang into action. Despite the near-disaster’s Hollywood ending—78 passengers and crew with only minor injuries, one who broke both legs, and no fatalities—the crash tested the interoperability of response organizations and the hospital network, an infrastructure the city has built steadily since the 9/11 attacks. Jim Mandler, assistant vice president of public affairs and corporate communications for New York hospital chain Continuum Health Partners, heard about the splashdown and watched the response unfold through the windows of his 57th Street office building.