Letter: Storm responders deserve credit

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To the editor,

As you are certainly aware, in the span of a little more than two months Connecticut faced an unprecedented series of weather events with Tropical Storm Irene and then the late October snowstorm. And while the power companies are still working to restore electricity to everyone across the state I wanted to take a minute to recognize those who, in my opinion, deserve the credit for making the aftermath of this storm a little easier on all of us.

I would like to personally thank the Valley EMT’s, firefighters, and police officers, who worked tirelessly to make sure our citizens were protected during this difficult time. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the local department of public works crews, who also put in countless hours to first plow our roads clear of the thick snow only to have to immediately turn around and focus on tree cutting and brush removal to clear our roads and power lines so the utilities could restore power.

I also want to recognize all those who volunteered at our shelters throughout the week. Their efforts made a difficult situation a lot more comfortable for many people. Keep in mind that while working for us most of these men and women were dealing with the same massive power outages at their homes as you and I.

During the day I was fortunate to be able to work from my Capitol office to push CL&P to respond to Seymour and Beacon Falls and restore power as fast as possible. I will say that CL&P did a reasonable job of keeping me updated on their progress-all of which I shared as best I could via my e-mail list and on the social media sites, Facebook and Twitter-but their overall responsiveness was lacking and I will continue to press for answers. In a state with the third-highest electric utility rates of the entire country it is not unreasonable to expect a faster response and better communication. Ten days as I type this is far too long for Connecticut families to be without power.

That being said, the real work that needs to be acknowledged and remembered was done by those EMS and public works personnel, in addition to all those who volunteered their time at our local shelters helping those in need. Take a moment when you can and thank them for what they do, because without their efforts this storm would have been a much bigger nightmare than it was.

Len Greene

State Representative (R-105)