How Erie County met the challenge of the October storm
JOEL GIAMBRA Erie County Executive
While many think of football, Halloween and autumn's colors this time of year, I have memories of a challenge Erie County met head-on. I'm speaking of the freakish snow storm of Oct. 12, 2006 that hit Erie County and presented a great challenge for this administration and residents as well.

The live wires that crisscrossed the county's roads prevented plows from moving the snow, and the downed trees added to the dilemma. To make matters worse, the lack of power and phone service prevented the normal means of communication from taking place. Thanks to the trained professionals at the Erie County Emergency Operations Center in Cheektowaga, the obstacles presented were not insurmountable. Kevin Commerford, director of Central Police Services, worked closely with Erie County Health Commissioner Anthony Billittier, Dean Messing of the Disaster Office, Public Works Director Gerry Sentz, Drew Eszak of Environment and Planning, and Greg Skibitsky of Emergency Services to create a plan to deal with the carnage.

The county then worked hand in hand with New York State's Emergency Management Office to lay out a game plan that would allow FEMA to provide funding for all governmental cleanup. The precise and detailed management that the Erie County leadership provided proved to be a telling factor in receiving federal funding.

As Erie County executive, I was proud to see our department heads react to the crisis and provide the kind of teamwork that is so critical during a state of emergency. All of the drills and scenarios that our staff had taken part in added to their preparation, but it was their dedication that made the difference.

The leadership of the principals at the EOC. such as Jim McCullough, Earl "Tiger" Schmittendorf and Danny Neaverth. showed the way for those who were experiencing emergency services and relief for the first time.

Communications Director Bob Koshinski served as the information point person for local and national media. Bob and Kevin Montgomery from the Health Department recruited communications professionals from other branches of government to cover the 24/7 shifts.

No one worked harder than Jerry Sentz and his crew from Public Works. The cleanup started immediately after the storm and continues to this day. County Parks workers under the leadership of Commissioner Andy Sedita also put in long hours to clean up downed trees and debris in our parks.

Certainly, there is not enough room in this column to thank everyone, but their efforts are not forgotten. While the storm may have darkened the landscape for several days, the efforts of the county's workers and leaders continue to shine through a year later.