Bee Editorial
Knowing where to turn in time of need
It had the makings of a big budget, blockbuster movie but the scene at the emergency

response command center at Amherst police headquarters was anything but scripted.

The Town of Amherst was in a real state of emergency, and the crews snapped into action, using their years of training to respond to the crippling October storm. The command center was the hub of the action, under the leadership of Jim Zymanek, director of emergency services.

From flooding to live wires and blocked roads to ailing residents, the command center coordinated how crews were going to dig out from the storm and restore the town. The storm's effect touched almost every mile of landscape in Amherst. With the damage so severe, having a place to turn was priceless for those who were frightened and needed help.

Zymanek, with several cell phones at his hip, relayed information to The Amherst Bee on the town's state of emergency, all while questions were being shouted to him from the four corners of the command center. The storm created a web of connections, with several town departments working closely together to resolve the most pertinent issues first.

Televisions, computers, blueprints, telephones, photographs of the damage and detailed schedules of workers coming and going created a buzz in the command center.

Western New York is known for its snow, the town is aware of the flooding issues, life without power has happened before and inclement weather has damaged the trees in the past but the magnitude of this storm had no precedent. It came out of nowhere and left a path of destruction, but instead of staring at the mess unsure of what to do, the town's trained workers didn't waste a minute before getting crews on the streets and help to residents.

For almost two weeks, employees and volunteers have clocked 20-hour days. Zymanek has worked with department heads, such as Highway Superintendent Bob Anderson and Police Chief John Moslow, to keep a full staff working on cleanup efforts.

The team effort from all town departments, fire companies and volunteers has been amazing. Debris is starting to disappear, schools are reopening and roads no longer resemble the floor of a rain forest. Although the cleanup is a long way from being over, town employees and department heads should be commended.

The command center and Zymanek took the chaos in stride and let residents know that with time everything would be OK. With long days still ahead, we would like to thank them for everything accomplished to date.