Editorial: Hats off to the first responders

Riverhead residents were lucky last weekend.

That might be a baffling statement to make after a nor’easter blew in and took up residence, sending surf up to the steps at Reeves Beach and floodwaters across the downtown riverfront. Fallen trees and power outages added to the trouble in parts of town.
But lucky, nevertheless. Not because everyone escaped damage or inconvenience, but because of the people who stepped up to keep their neighbors safe.

The preparations began before the storm arrived. Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski reported that drains had been cleared, equipment was ready and crews were available to respond. Police Chief Ed Frost’s department prepared for the calls that would follow.

Supervisor Jerry Halpin declared a state of emergency Friday, closing town park facilities and suspending four-wheel-drive access to North Shore beaches. Those restrictions disrupted plans, but keeping people away from dangerous conditions is part of protecting them.

The storm offered plenty of reminders of why that matters. Water covered parts of the riverfront. Waves pounded the shoreline. Trees came down along the Sound in hamlets like Baiting Hollow and Wading River, where some residents lost electricity.

Thanks are due to the highway workers, police officers and utility crews whose jobs take them outside when the rest of us can stay in. The same goes for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel, ready to leave their own families when someone else’s needs help.

Much of this work earns little notice unless something goes wrong. A cleared drain, a barricade across a flooded road or equipment ready when a call comes in may not make a dramatic photograph. But those details are what preparedness looks like.

Lucky? All in all, yes, to have the dedicated individuals who, through their actions, show how much they care for their fellow residents.