BY ERIC H. MADISON
Longmeadow is a New England bedroom community in western Massachusetts. About 16,000 residents occupy nine square miles. Its large homes, groomed lawns, and historic town green are some of the reasons Longmeadow is one of the more desirable communities in western Massachusetts. Our firefighting force is typical for a small community: Twenty-two career firefighters are responsible for the town's emergency medical services (EMS) and fire emergency responses. On average, we respond to about 2,300 calls a year; 65 percent of them are for EMS.
In October 2011, Longmeadow was in the bull's-eye of a "nor'easter" storm. Winter had not yet settled in, and many trees were still holding a full umbrella of leaves. The storm brought more than a foot of heavy wet snow. The results were the loss of electrical power for the entire town; every street was closed by downed trees or power lines, and it would become a weeklong emergency management challenge for the community.
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