By David Morales
A November snowstorm whalloped Western New York, blanketing some areas with as much as six feet of snow and prompting responses from firefighters in various jurisdictions. Some agencies traveled for miles to provide aid, including members of the Getzville (NY) Fire Department in Amherst, New York, which sent two teams of firefighters twenty miles south of their district to assist Orchard Park after the storm.
The lake-effect snowstorm was blamed for at least three deaths and prompted a federal emergency declaration, according to the Associated Press. National Weather Service observers reported 80 inches in the Buffalo suburbs of Hamburg and Orchard Park.
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The below photos show Getzville firefighters responding to the storm, along with other organization, to help rescue people from their homes and vehicles. Crews contended with various challenges, including a hours-long ride into the disaster zone, stranded motorists, carbon monoxide incidents, medical emergencies, and even a structure fire and collapse.
David Morales is a lieutenant and public information officer for Getzville (NY) Fire Company.
