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Mostly Cloudy Island Park Fire Chief honored with humanitarian award
When Island Park Fire Chief Anthony D’Esposito was presented with the Firefighters Humanitarian Award by the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center on Oct. 10, it was an acknowledgment of a lifetime of service to his hometown, especially his efforts to help restore the Village after Superstorm Sandy. D’Esposito was humbled and honored to receive the award, but said that his community service has only just begun.
“I was born and raised in Island Park,” he said, “and the devastation caused by Sandy is something I hope never to see again. I care about the future of this community, and I will continue to work to make it as great as it can be.”
Sandy devastated the northeastern United States two years ago, causing an estimated $68 billion in damage, according to the National Weather Service. No place was hit harder than Island Park, and that included the fire department.
Flooding caused by the storm surge destroyed the Island Park Fire Department trucks and ambulance, and heavily damaged the fire station facility. Despite nearly four feet of water in the firehouse, over one hundred rescue personnel battled numerous house fires and conducted search-and-rescue efforts following the storm.
“What hit me were the things we take for granted,” D’Esposito said. “I’d been going to the Sacred Heart Parish my whole life, and then suddenly it was gone. In addition to the homes and the property, and the people who are still not back in their homes, it really hit me to lose an institution that I always expected would be there.”
