Editorial: Hats off to the first responders

Shelter Islanders were lucky last weekend. 

That might be a baffling statement to make after a nor’easter blew in and took up residence from Friday through Monday. The storm brought winds as high as 70 mph, driving waves onto land, causing road closures and blowing down trees and limbs across power lines.  

But lucky, nevertheless. There were no deaths or serious injuries and no extended periods of dark, cold houses. As Highway Superintendent Ken Lewis Jr. said, one piece of luck was the weather stayed mild, so houses without heat were bearable, if in some cases uncomfortable.

And lucky to have the first responders who stepped up — as they always have — to work to keep Islanders safe. In advance of the storm, as Shelter Island Police Department Det. Sgt. Jack Thilberg noted, Town departments and agencies implemented established storm preparedness measures and coordinated response plans. Personnel continuously monitored conditions throughout the event, maintained essential services, and adjusted operations and staffing as necessary to address changing weather conditions and public safety.

Mr. Lewis and his crews worked quickly and efficiently, doing the often dangerous work of removing downed trees and large limbs from live power lines, and opened roads when the work was done. The team closed roads when severe flooding made them impassable and quickly opened them when the waters receded.

Kudos go to the PSEG crew that came on the Island prior to the storm — as they always do when a severe weather event is forecasted — and stayed throughout the weekend, rapidly working to repair and restore power.

Both ferries were operative during the storm. At one point, at the height of the nor’easter, North Ferry carried a patient escorted by EMS volunteers across the bay for emergency medical treatment. Fire Department volunteers answered several calls during the storm, putting out a brush fire on one run that, with winds gusting as high as 70 mph, could have spread and developed into something catastrophic. 

Lucky? All in all, yes, to have the dedicated individuals who, through their actions, showed they truly care for their fellow Islanders.