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Army National Guard lends a hand to Sullivan County

Rich Klein - Reporter/Photographer
Posted 3/13/18

FORESTBURGH — Late last week, with Sullivan County still reeling from a pair of devastating winter storms, the Forestburgh Firehouse had become a major operations center to help local residents as …

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Army National Guard lends a hand to Sullivan County

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FORESTBURGH — Late last week, with Sullivan County still reeling from a pair of devastating winter storms, the Forestburgh Firehouse had become a major operations center to help local residents as well as others in the county to recover from the disaster.

When the Democrat visited last Thursday, it marked the seventh day for many in the area without power. And that's one reason why Sullivan County asked New York State for help, resulting in the deployment of some 56 National Guard members to Forestburgh one week ago yesterday. They came from as far north as Horseheads and as far south as Brooklyn.

Todd Petrowsky, chief of the Forestburgh Fire Department, was coordinating the response and was working closely with Jody Lupo, who was commanding the National Guard at the firehouse. The firehouse was also operating as a warming center; Petrowsky said a local mother and her four children stayed at the firehouse during the first three days after the initial storm -- before the fire department was able to facilitate a generator setup at her home.

Petrowsky said that the first order of business was to clear trees and obstructions on roads to reach people in need and then make sure various electrical contractors got to the properties to begin restoration.

Petrowsky said that he and other firefighters, along with the town's highway department, were surveying the area to see where the needs were greatest. He said they also went out to the Town of Lumberland and cleared six miles of roads in three hours. The teams were also delivering food, some of it donated, as well as firewood.

Lupo said that his teams working with the National Guard were removing debris, conducting welfare checks (e.g., making sure people get their medications) and delivering commodities like dry ice and water. "We are working closely with the chief and he's been great," Lupo said of Petrowsky.

"There's been a tremendous response from multiple agencies working hand in hand to get things done," Lupo said. The needs are basic: "security, safety, food ... remove debris and get power companies access to the lines to restore power." Lupo on Thursday was also directing his team to pack more dry ice, adding that 40,000 pounds of dry ice was delivered to Forestburgh for pickup and distribution.

The Forestburgh warming center was being used so people "could get a cup of coffee, charge their phones and grab a meal," said Petrowsky. He noted that some residents used the space to take a quick nap on the second floor of the firehouse.

Petrowsky added that DeFillippos Bakery donated food and that Walmart and Shoprite donated gift cards of $100 each. The local American Red Cross provided cots and blankets and toiletries.

The chief said that with the help of the National Guard, "we distributed dry ice to other areas like Tusten, transported water to Camp Simcha in Lumberland and dry ice to Narrowsburg to their warming center."

As of yesterday morning, the County reported that nearly the entire County was back to normal regarding electric power restoration. According to Dan Hust, director of communications for the County, NYSEG reported eight outages remaining in Monticello, while Orange and Rockland Utilities had about five in Lumberland and Mamakating. "We're basically back to normal with electricity in the County," Hust said.

He added that while all warming centers and our Emergency Operations Center have closed, the Highland Town Hall in Eldred is still distributing dry ice.

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