Page 6 - Work Force June 2017

CSEA members respond to flooding, storm damage
To many people who live along Lake Ontario’s shores, spring flooding is nothing new.
But when the lake’s waters recently rose to its highest point since 1993, causing damage to homes and other property, CSEA members from Western and Central New York were working around the clock to contain the damage and help those affected.
Our members responding include those employed by the state Department of Transportation, county municipal highway and public works employees, state and county parks crews, public safety officers, 911 operators and more.
In addition to the flooding, our members and area residents are responding to damage caused by strong winds that have eaten away huge chunks of shoreline and sent waters surging into shoreline homes.
The governor recently declared
a state of emergency along the entire lake shoreline. This allows state agencies to expedite permits so
that those who need to repair their property can quickly do so.
CSEA member Tim Farabell,
a Town of Irondequoit Public Works employee, said he and his co-workers have been working plenty of overtime.
Farabell and a
co-worker, CSEA
member Tim Appleton, were among the town workers who were at the town’s East Ridge Road Operations Center helping their neighbors
with sandbagging and additional resources.
“We have had a steady stream of people show up looking for sand to protect their homes,” Appleton said. “We are glad we can provide this help.”
“Ever since the fire in our DPW barn last Christmas, we have been dealing with one crisis after another,” Farabell said. “If it isn’t a fire, it’s a snowstorm, or a wind storm. Now we have this major flooding issue that is keeping us very busy. There are no dull days here.”
Farabell said workers at the town
CSEA-represented state Department of Transportation employees from the Rochester area help residents fill sand bags in preparation for rising water. Photo by Bess Watts.
Town of Greece police patrol on May 6 closed portions of a local road that was affected by flooding.
6 The Work Force
June 2017
Farabell
CSEA Monroe County members help Town of Brighton volunteer firefighters load sand bags for Lake Ontario shoreline residents at the Town of Irondequoit Public Works Operation Center.
operations center handed out almost 5,000 sandbags during one 48-hour period. The nearby Town of Webster also distributed more than 10,000 sandbags in recent weeks.
CSEA Monroe County Local President Bess Watts has worked hard to reach out to members during the flooding. Watts said many CSEA members are going the extra mile
to ensure residents are getting the services they need.
“I have visited work sites in the towns of Webster, Irondequoit and
Greece, and CSEA members are doing a remarkable job considering the circumstances,” Watts said. “Tempers are short. Nerves are frayed. People are scared. But our members continue to deliver on their promise every day to preserve property values and create a safe and high quality environment for town residents and businesses alike. The work they are doing right now is just extraordinary.”
— Ove Overmyer