Residents were left in the cold last week when an eight-plus hour power interruption occurred in an area that reportedly stretched from Boonville to beyond Raquette Lake.
The abrupt outage at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 1 extended to 3:10 a.m. the following day.
Air temperatures ranging from one to minus 12 degrees during that time period caused in-home thermometers to plumet into the 40 degree range.
Though some passed off the situation as non-critical, others, such as area fire department personnel, regarded it as an emergency and went into action.
“We have a number of elderly residents and people who have special medical needs, such as oxygen, who could potentially be affected by an extended loss of power, especially in sub-zero weather,” said Old Forge Fire Department Chief Charlie Bogardus.
Bogardus said in the case of a power outage, he is put in immediate and direct contact with a National Grid representative who keeps him abreast of the complexity of the situation and offers an approximation of how long the power will be interrupted.
In his initial contact with the representative last Wednesday, it was reported that power would be restored by 7 p.m., however he was notified shortly thereafter that it would be closer to midnight—possibly as late as 3 a.m.
At that point, Bogardus said he and others in the department set up an emergency shelter.
They got the word out on the scanner that the firehouse was open for anyone in need of hot beverages, blankets or a warm place to spend the night.
Fire personnel went through the department’s checklist of residents with special medical needs and administered home assistance to them.
Ten bottles of oxygen were distributed, Bogardus said.
Webb Police Officer A.J. Silverman also joined in the effort, patrolling the town to see if anyone on the streets was in need of help.
“A.J. found a few people in public parking lots, running their cars to keep warm. One woman, who ended up coming to the shelter with her two pet lizards, said she parked herself at the Old Forge Post Office for three hours prior to A.J. informing her that the firehouse was open,” Bogardus said.
Father Shane Lynch of St. Bartholomew’s Church, and also a member of the department, came by to offer his individual help as well as the church for additional shelter space if needed.
“Often, people are reluctant to leave their homes in emergency situations, and father has a great way of pursuading them that it’s the right thing to do,” Bogardus said.
Town of Webb School Superin-tendent Rex Germer also showed up at the firehouse to lend a hand after hearing on the scanner that the generator at Lakeside Terrace, the senior housing facility, was not operating and that residents would potentially be in need of transportation to the firehall.
“Rex was on-site for about six hours. And he offered any resources that could be provided by the school—specifically bus transportation to the shelter. He also made the school available should we need a bigger venue to house folks. They were able to get the generator running, but it was good to know we had the backup if needed,” Bogardus said.
And close to 20 fire department members were either on-site or out checking on people throughout the night, according to Bogardus.
“I couldn’t ask any more from our members. They were there and did whatever they needed to do,” he said.
The chief said that approximately 15 people took advantage of the resources of the shelter—four of whom spent the entire night.
They included local residents and some who were visiting the area during the holiday week.
Among them were a group of snowmobilers from New Jersey and Connecticut who dropped by for hot beverages and blankets.
Bogardus recommends that residents call the fire department at (315) 369-3424 if they are in need of assistance during a power outage.
They can also contact 911 as he said he is in continual contact with Herkimer County emergency personnel.
Also, he welcomes names and numbers of those who would like to be added to the department’s list of people requiring emergency relief.
Though Otter Lake Fire Department Chief Jeff Abrial reports that their building and emergency procedures are strikingly similar to those of the Old Forge department, residents should be aware that emergency protocol is unique to each individual community.
It is recommended that they directly call the fire departments or emergency service agency serving their area.
Below is a list of the non-emergency numbers of local volunteer fire departments. It is requested that individuals leave a message on the phone service as there is not always personnel on-site to receive calls.
Area Fire Dept. Phone Numbers
Woodgate Fire Dept. (315) 392-6611
Otter Lake Fire Dept. (315) 369-3668
Old Forge Fire Dept. (315) 369-3424
Eagle Bay Fire Dept. (315) 357-3414
Big Moose Fire Dept. (315) 357-3475
Inlet Volunteer Hose Co. (315) 357-6601
Raquette Lake Fire Dept. (315) 354-4644