Dear Editor:

The helicopter crash in the north county reminds us of the valuable services of our fire, emergency and search and rescue volunteers. They are county heroes.

But even the best trained emergency workers can’t help if they are unable to get to the people who need their help. That’s the job of the department of highways. Especially in a winter like this one, simply getting from one place to another would be all but impossible were it not for the tough crews who drive the plows, graders, bucket loaders and salt trucks. We don’t often think of highway department employees as heroes, but they are.

Clearing snow from our highways and back roads is hard work. Especially when the equipment used may be older than the operators themselves. And it is dangerous. In a blizzard, constant focus and skill are required to keep people from getting hurt or killed. Driving heavy equipment long hours with no break is exhausting. And if you’ve ever busted a hydraulic hose at night in the middle of nowhere in an ice storm, you know how difficult it is to just keep going.

The next time you meet County Highway Superintendent Jim McCoy or one of his workers, you might want to thank them for doing a great job under terrible conditions. They, too, are county heroes without whom nobody could get anywhere.

Rich Laska
Bartow