These folks hit the road when bad weather hits

HARTINGTON — It doesn’t matter if the town is covered in snow, or if a blizzard has made it nearly impossible to see.

When the emergency pager goes off, many area residents risk their lives during powerful winter storms to go out and help others.

When an emergency happens and 911 is dialed, people expect emergency response teams to respond.

And that’s exactly what the emergency responders throughout Cedar County do even if they are struggling to get out of their own homes and get to an ambulance.

Jeff Jones, Cedar County Conservation Officer and President of the Hartington Ambulance squad knows all about that.

Last year they had to recruit snowmobile drivers to pick up EMTs so they could get to the ambulance. The city snow plow then helped the ambulance get to the emergency and then met the state plow that led the way to Yankton.

“We have a heck of a team in Cedar County,” he said.

As a Conservation officer, he has also been called upon many times to help the State Patrol because his vehicle is four-wheel drive. One incident he responded to was an ice rescue. There were duck hunters caught on a sandbar and jammed in the ice and the State Patrol helicopter came and rescued them and took them to the boat ramp.

Many efforts are needed when emergencies arise when the weather is good, but even more help is needed when the weather is dangerous.

When winter weather arrives and makes driving difficult it effects first responders, sheriff’s department, city police, state patrol and many other emergency personnel.

Having snow plows that will respond to assist are essential. City, County, and State snow plows have all assisted in emergencies in Cedar County.

Makayla Garcia, Laurel, has been working as a nurse practitioner in Norfolk for the past ve years.

There is never the option to stay home during inclement weather. The hospital does not close when the weather gets bad.

Garcia said every year but one in the past five years she has had to find somewhere to stay in Norfolk in order to make her shifts, whether it was in a hotel, a friend’s place or an empty chair or bed at the hospital.

Garcia was snowed in at the hospital for over 72 hours a couple of years ago.

“When someone from the next shift couldn’t make it to work, my shift was extended until relief could come,” she said. Garcia pays for her own hotel rooms to make sure she gets to work.

The roads can be very scary in the winter. There is always black ice or wind that causes limited visibility and “people are always driving too fast,” she said.

Garcia said just a few weeks ago, she drove in bad weather and it was extremely limited visibility and there was ice on the road. It took her one hour and 45 minutes to get to Norfolk. There were two semi trucks jack-knifed in the ditches along with two cars.

Garcia tries to get to Norfolk before the storm hits, but this time it snuck up on her.

When the plows pull off the roads, they become impassable. Garcia said, “More than once, the highways have been shut down.” She really appreciates all the snowplow drivers do and the long hours they are out on the dangerous roads.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition https://etypeservices.com/Northeast%20Nebraska%20News%20CompanyID379/