Poughkeepsie, NY... Following the deployment of Dutchess County Public Works (DPW) highway crew earlier this week, four Dutchess County Public Safety Dispatchers are today headed to Buffalo, New York to provide relief coverage in the Erie County 911 Communication Center.
Blizzard conditions dumped several feet of snow on the region, with snow and wind conditions causing power outages and impassable roadways. At least 39 deaths have been reported as a result of the impossible weather conditions that challenged emergency response, utilities and public works crews.
The request for coverage came from the Erie County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Dutchess County PSDs will cover live calls in the Erie County 911 center in the Town of Cheektowaga from Friday until Monday to allow Erie County staff some time to rest and decompress. Public Safety Dispatchers, known as the “thin gold line”, are an integral part of the emergency response and law enforcement system and often the unseen heroes who work in the background of emergencies. Erie County Public Safety Dispatchers have handled thousands of calls over the last week, attempting to help individuals and families through harrowing circumstances.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Erie County has experienced tremendous tragedy over this last week and that takes a huge toll on those who working to help. We are grateful to our dedicated Public Safety Dispatchers willing to travel across the state to cover 911 calls, so Erie County dispatchers can get some well-deserved rest. The thin gold line of public safety professionals stands strong across New York.”
Earlier this week, Dutchess County Public Works sent eight crew members and multiple equipment including front end loader and dump trucks in Buffalo, NY to assist with snow removal operations in the City of Buffalo to clear roads in locations that had been inaccessible and without power since the early stages of the storm.
