In the days after Super storm sandy as much of Yorktown was still recovering from the damage sustained YHFD members were also assisting another community in Long Island, NY.

The YHFD was requested by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control to respond with our Rescue as part of a statewide mutual aide plan. The YHFD sent 4 members with Rescue 16 and Car 2533 on Monday morning to the staging area at the Emergency Operations Center in Westbury, NY from there YHFD Volunteers were notified they would be assigned to the hard hit area of Long Beach, in Nassau County.

Rescue 16 arrived in Long Beach to witness unfathomable destruction and devastation crews were assigned to the "West End" Station where they would call home for the next 72 hours. LBFD members welcomed not only YHFD members with open arms but, endless amounts of NY State Troopers, NY National Guardsmen, EMS Crews, and other Fire Departments from around the state of NY attempting to accommodate us in any way possible; members were given bunks, 3 meals a day along with other amenities by LBFD members and their families.

During their deployment the crew of Rescue 16 gained a rapport with the LBFD members and was asked to extend their deployment another 24 hours which the crew eagerly accepted. The remainder of their now 96 hour deployment the crew of Rescue 16 responded and operated at over 50 calls, including multiple gas leaks, and investigations, CO Alarms and Investigations, 2 working structure fires where R-16 was assigned as the search group of the fire buildings, structural investigations, removal of hazardous debris, and even located a few hand grenades during a gas leak which were later found to be harmless as they were converted into props.

In between calls R-16 as well the other crews making up the "West End Command" spent their time assisting the LBFD members that had helped us so much by cleaning out their homes that had sustained significant damage and cleaning and maintaining the station that had like all of Long Beach been flooded by nearly 4 feet of water that crippled the LBFD fleet and converted the station into a makeshift collection center for supplies.

After their deployment had ended on Friday, The YHFD returned again on Saturday. YHFD members purchased and Donated 3 Fridge/freezer and a chest freezer to the LBFD after seeing during the deployment that they had to store goods outside to keep them cold. All in all, the YHFD formed new bonds with firefighters and other emergency personnel from the LBFD and around the state and would like to thank the Long Beach Fire Department and the members of the "West End" Station for their hospitality during a tough this tough time.