County Council Praises Maryland Ice Storm Response

Jan. 21--Harford County Council members took time at Tuesday night's legislative session to praise 9-1-1 dispatchers and first responders for their work during Sunday morning's unexpected and freakish ice storm.

The sudden ice caused a fatal crash in Forest Hill and a flurry of 175 accidents by about 1 p.m. which left emergency officials struggling to reach many of the victims.

"I am thinking that this winter we are going to see a lot more ice," Council President Richard Slutzky said, adding many elderly people are especially vulnerable to falls on ice.

"Any time we get those ice warnings, you should heed them," he said. "Let's hope that everyone is careful and safe, and Harford County can avoid some of those accidents we have had."

Councilman Joe Woods, who volunteers with Fallston's fire and EMS company, said he went on about eight calls that morning.

"The weather changed very quickly, especially when people were going to church in the morning," Woods said, thanking the county 9-1-1 Center for an "incredible" job.

"That shift, which was short[-staffed] that morning, handled it incredibly and they really need to be recognized," he said.

He also thanked the county's public works department for doing as good a job treating the roads as the employees could under the conditions.

Copyright 2015 - Howard County Times, Columbia, Md.