Editorial: Honor those who never stopped working despite the snow

Thank you for your sacrifices.

If you were among the fortunate able to heed advice to stay off the roadways with the recent record snowstorm, you owe it to the many heroes who performed the work that needed to be done to restore your community to normal functioning.

Highway workers were clearing roadways around the clock, challenged to remove 24 to 30 inches of snow in your community. Police directed what traffic there was and responded to other calls as needed. Volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians and paramedics stood ready to respond, whatever needs arose. There were also PSEG-LI workers who worked furiously to restore power as rapidly as possible.

All of these people understand not just the inconveniences a major storm can bring, but the reality that lives could be at stake if they fail to render their services appropriately.

Planning for the arrival of the Blizzard of 2026 required attention to how teams could work together and what had been learned from earlier emergencies about how to make their efforts even more efficient.

Senior service staff members were alert to special needs that some seniors might have as they prepared to provide shelter, food and companionship through the worst of the storm.

While some property owners grumbled about the time it took to clear the roads and return the towns to full operations, most understood and were patient with these generous workers who left the comfort of their own homes, concerned about the safety of their families, to respond to the needs of the wider community.

We need to let these people know how much we appreciate their efforts, understand the sacrifices they make to serve others and respect the hours of training they undergo, whether as paid professionals or volunteers, to carry out their responsibilities.

We need to acknowledge that when the rest of us return to our normal lives, these teams meet to assess how well their efforts worked — not to pat themselves on the back, but to identify anything they may have learned that could have made them even more effective.

If you’ve ever watched people running out of a burning building while firefighters rush in, seen EMTs or paramedics attend to the critical needs of a loved one or called on police for assistance with any number of problems, let these people know how much you value their efforts.