clarinews@clarinet.com (PAULA DITTRICK) (02/09/90)
HOUSTON (UPI) -- Tenneco Inc. Thursday reported a dramatic jump in 1989 operating income, which stemmed primarily from a long-awaited turnaround at JI Case, its farm and construction equipment division. ``It's the first year that Tenneco operated without the oil company, with our major restructuring in 1988, and Ibenefit of our reduced debt and our share repurchase program,'' Ketelsen said. ``The prospect for significant improvement in earnffort, but said some changes must be made in the emergency plan used for the crash. Rozzi said many of the volunteer firemen who responded to the crash in Cove Neck were unneeded and had to be placed in staging areas where they remained on call. Rozzi and William Walsh, chairman of the county Fire Commission, said the heavy turnout of the volunteers may have stemmed for early erroneous reports that the crashed plane was a Boeing 747, which can carry more than 500 passengers. There were 158 passengers and crew aboard the smaller Avianca Boeing 707, 73 of whom died. ``If you're asking me whether too many firemen rescuers appeared for a Boeing 707, the answer is yes,'' Rozzi said. ``If you're asking me whether the same would hold for a Boeing 747, the answer is no.'' The commissioner said he would like to see one fire official delegated to make a determination as to which volunteer departments would respond. Rozzi conceded that police waited too long to close off the access roads to the crash site, which was in a heavily wooded area of exclusive Cove Neck. The result was that the roads, some so narrow that it was difficult for two ambulances to pass abreast of each other, were clogged with cars, many driven by the curious who played no role in the rescue effort. Rozzi called for a better identification system, which would keep out curiousity seekers. Despite these problems, Rozzi said 95 per cent of the occupants of the plane, both dead and alive, were removed from the wreckage ``within two hours.'' ``The helicopter pilots were real heroes,'' Rozzi said. ``Despite the weather conditions and the wooded terrain, they transported 22 of the injured to hospitals.'' Three of the helicopters are owned by the Nassau Police Department, four came from New York City, one was supplied by Suffolk County, and another came from the Cornell University Medical Center. Rozzi added that despite the hilly terrain and the remote area where the plane went down, police and firemen pitched in to save many of the passenger's lives.