EMFD takes on blizzard
Volunteers leave home to respond to calls during winter storm
The last blast of wintery weather forecasted for 2010, came in the form of a memorable blizzard dumping anywhere between 12 to 18 inches of snow over our community with drifts in blizzard conditions reaching depths more than two feet.
As the storm approached, the EMFD Chief Thomas E. Tergesen took no chances in covering all bases to afford our community with a prompt response to any emergency.
On the day of the storm, Dec. 26, all East Meadow firefighters and emergency technicians received an alert on their pagers by 2 p.m. requesting for available volunteers to go on snow standby. Through dispatch, Tergesen instructed members to make all last-minute preparations to depart from their families.
By 3 p.m., scores of members began arriving with blankets, pillows and sleeping bags long before roads would become impassible. In short time, members would be tested in the elements as the first of nine calls began to come in. The overnight was far from quiet as East Meadow volunteers awoke several times during the standby at the height of blizzard conditions in frigid temperatures worsened by extreme wind chills near zero degrees.
At 8:13 p.m. on Dec. 26, the first of the challenges came in the form of a car fire on Hempstead Turnpike near Home Depot. The fire, confined to the rear interior of the vehicle, was quickly extinguished by members of Engine 611, with help from Heavy Rescue No. 616.
At 12:04 a.m., Engines No. 1, 4, and Ladders No. 1, 2, and Ambulance No. 6144, were dispatched to smoke in the building at 2138 Hempstead Turnpike.
At 12:22 a.m., just as units were freed from this minor incident, EMFD Dispatch announced a call for smoke in a house on Merry Lane. This call resulted in an oil burner emergency quickly mitigated by the prompt response of Engines No. 611 and 614, and Ladders No. 617 and 619, Heavy Rescue No. 616, and Ambulance 6144.
At 1:21 a.m. dispatch announced a transformer fire on Vincent Drive, which resulted in wires down. Engine No. 611 and Heavy Rescue No. 616 handled this alarm without further incident.
At 6:20 a.m. reports of a car fire on Division Avenue called upon Engines No. 2 and 4, and Ladder No. 619.
