The following is a statement from Town of Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence:

As we struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I find myself truly inspired by the unity that has brought our community together over the past several days. With the power still out in various areas throughout Ramapo and people coping with a massive cleanup due to the storm’s fury, the sense of caring and community that I have witnessed is a beacon of light in an otherwise dark period.

We are extremely blessed to have such dedicated first responders in the Town of Ramapo who went above and beyond the call of duty this week to ensure that people in need received the assistance that they desperately needed. The response of our police officers, volunteer firefighters, members of our volunteer ambulance corps, and CSEA employees reminded us how fortunate we are to have first responders whose sole concern is the safety and well-being of our community.

Last night I participated in a conference call with other elected officials, President Obama, and Governor Cuomo, who has shown great leadership throughout this disaster. President Obama informed us that he will immediately make available all the assets of the Federal Government swiftly to help restore our communities’ homes, critical infrastructure, and electrical power. The president told us that New York is the pulse of our nation, and that he is committed to giving us the assistance we need to rebuild.

As you know, fuel is in short supply in our area. I urge all of you to conserve fuel until supplies are replenished. Please avoid unnecessary trips during this time.

As we are still in the midst of a state of emergency, I have taken the necessary steps to ensure that our emergency services personnel, which are comprised of police, fire, and ambulance, have access to fuel so that they can continue serving Ramapo residents and protecting our community. Working together with a local gas station, I have made arrangements to provide our first responders with fuel for their vehicles so there will be no interruption in the vital services that they provide to our residents.

With parts of our town still without power, please know that I have been doing everything I can to make sure that service is restored as soon as possible. I have been in contact with Orange and Rockland Utilities and am pushing them to restore service to our residents and businesses as expeditiously as possible under the circumstances.

Hurricane Sandy may have wreaked havoc on our town, but it will not break our spirit or weaken our resolve. Ramapo residents, and all New Yorkers, are extremely resilient, and we will continue working together, as a community, to bounce back from this devastating storm.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance in the days and weeks ahead.

With a population of over 126,000 people, the Town of Ramapo in Rockland County is the largest town in New York State outside of Long Island.

(YWN Desk – NYC)