60 firefighters heeded call to assist Buffalo area hit by storm
Photo by Tom Rivers – From left: Dale Banker, Orleans County Emergency Management Office director; John DeYoung of the Clarendon Fire Company; Bob Freida, Clarendon fire chief; Rocky Sidari, Albion fire chief, Stan Farone, Albion firefighter; County Legislator Lynne Johnson, Jason Watts, Shelby fire chief; Joe Morlino, captain with Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company; and County Legislator Ken DeRoller.
The Orleans County Legislature commended volunteer firefighters who went to the Buffalo area after a monster snowstorm hit beginning Nov. 18.
In all, 60 firefighters from the county would serve at least a shift in the Buffalo area, with many of those volunteers staying for several days.
“Our volunteers stood ready and were available to help our neighbors,” County Legislator Lynne Johnson said today during the Legislature meeting.
Firefighters went from the following fire departments: Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, East Shelby, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville, Ridgeway and Shelby. Some of those departments brought along fire trucks and off-track four-wheelers.
Dale Banker, the county emergency management director, coordinated the efforts from the local firefighters with Erie County fire departments that needed help.
Banker said the 60 firefighters collectively gave about 3,000 hours in Erie County.
“Everybody did a great job,” he said.
