| One year ago, during the afternoon hours of Saturday August 27, 2011 and into the early morning hours of Sunday August 28, Hurricane Irene slammed into Calvert County with a powerful punch that left a path of destruction. Due to the preparedness of county departments, members were ready and were able to answer all calls for duty. At the height of the storm, wind speeds were sustained at 60 mph with gusts much higher between 80-100 mph. For several hours, emergency responders were pulled from the streets for their own safety and well-being. With this, hundreds of trees toppled across roadways tearing down power lines, leaving the majority of the citizens without power, running water and no access for local fire departments (due to roads being completely blocked). During 24 hours, the membership of the Huntingtown VFD responded to **116 calls**. 48 members of the Huntingtown VFD staffed the station during this time period.
This evening, August 16, 2012, the Membership of the Huntingtown VFD was recognized for their contributions during Hurricane Irene 2011. The Board of Calvert County Commissioners typed a letter to each member as well as providing them a challenge coin. The letter signed by each County Commissioner reads:
"We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for the selfless dedication and professionalism you displayed during Hurricane Irene. Your willingness to put yourself in harm's way in service to Calvert County during this terrible storm is a demonstration of your courage and dedication to the citizens of Calvert County. The actions you took throughout the storm and its aftermath to serve your fellow citizens were the highest caliber of Fire-Rescue-EMS Service that we could ask for. We are very fortunate to have you as one of our volunteers and greatly appreciate the service all of our citizens receive from you. We have no doubt that the safety of our residents was a direct result of your hard work, commitment, and expertise. Please accept our heartfelt appreciation and congratulations on a job well done."
Hurricane Irene 2011: http://www.hvfd6.org/apps/public/news/newsView.cfm?News_ID=1003 |
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