SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Patricia Mace, of Marion, N.C., and Carrie Heller, of Hepburn Township, smile and hug after the Heller family delivered relief supplies gathered through a local donation drive for communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

There was no shortage of compassion shown by people in the region for those slammed by flooding caused by Tropical Storm Debby and then Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.

Much of these contributions occurred just weeks after this region experienced historic property damage.

These were nothing short of acts of selflessness and were reasons why those spotlighted in this article are nominees for the 2024 Sun-Gazette Persons of the Year award.

Blessed is the word repeatedly used by Heath Heller, a Hepburn Township supervisor and firefighter, who, after serving his community during Debby flooding, then watched as $53 billion of damage occurred in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, which, he said, lead him to want to spearhead a drive to collect relief supplies.

That campaign, when it went on Facebook, grew exponentially and began to involve the community-at-large and dozens of volunteer fire companies and departments and private companies.

By the time the trip was ready to roll out, there were four tractor trailers filled with bottled water, hygiene products, cleaning supplies and materials to give comfort for those who continued to require relief.

Donated fire engine

The donations also included a much-needed usable fire engine.

At Hepburn Township Volunteer Fire Co., as they rescued and helped their flooded neighbors and then provided them temporary shelter on Aug. 9 and for several days afterwards, the fire company members were not finished, “We organized with other fire departments and residents to send the engine down, equipped so it was ready for service as soon as it was taken off the trailer,” said HTVF Chief Nathan Confer.

Members voted with no hesitation to donate their 2000 American LaFrance Engine to the Marshall Fire Department from North Carolina, with help from the North Carolina Fire Marshal’s Office.

The engine was equipped with hose, hand tools, nozzles, deck gun, hurst extrication system and rams, positive pressure ventilation fan, generators, saws, gas cans, a quick fix of the electrical system, and there were local folks who heard about the trip who donated money towards fuel for it.

“Four of our members made the trip down with Ground Shaker transporting the engine for us at no cost,” he said.

The Marshall Volunteer Fire Department in North Carolina, wasn’t expecting to receive an equipped engine and were taken back to see it equipped.

They plan to finish putting their equipment on it and running the engine out as their front-line engine, Confer remarked.

Blessed is not a word one would expect to hear in the wake of a tragedy. But it was a sentiment that was expressed by Heller after he donated supplies to hurricane-ravaged North Carolina.

Heller met with local relief donations and worked alongside residents of Marion, North Carolina. The venture would not have been possible without everyone who donated to the cause, he said.

That included Ground Shaker, for the transportation of the engine. Also contributing for the trip were:

Picture Rocks Volunteer Fire Company – 800 Feet of 1 ¾” hose, deck gun, thermal imaginer, and other various hand tools.

Trucksville Volunteer Fire and Rescue – 2400 feet of 1 ¾” hose.

Nisbet Volunteer Fire Company – 15 SCBA cylinders.

Citizens Hose Company of Jersey Shore – Positive pressure ventilation fan.

Old Lycoming Volunteer Fire Company – Hurst extrication system to include cutters, spreaders, rams and hose reels.

Glick Fire Equipment Company – Donating time for the mechanics to fix the electrical system on the engine.

Dave’s Repair Shop – three generators.

C.H. Waltz and Sons Inc. – two chain saws.

Rakoski Automotive – gas cans.

Mel Boyer / Jim Stratton – gas cans.

Susan Powell – generator and chain saw.

John Glenn – generator.

Richard Vollman – chain saw.

Balls Mills United Methodist Church – Paper goods and other cleaning supplies.

Terry Hicks – Paper goods, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items.

Anonymous donations of cash.

Among those stars of the year for relieving the worries of Helene survivors is Heather Newhart and those who belong to the Compassionate Campers, as they continue to raise funds to purchase campers that provided temporary housing, according to a story by Sun-Gazette writer Pat Crossley.

Under the fitting name, the group purchased temporary housing for the flood victims, such as campers and drove them to the flood-ravaged areas.

Newhart said she and her husband left on Oct. 12 with a flatbed truck loaded with supplies purchased by their company.

Once there, it could be seen how the damage was in the billions. Whole communities were swallowed up by the flood water and mudslides. Newhart related how she and her husband helped those in communities to clear downed trees blocking vehicles and then established contact with the pastor at Big News Baptist Church, Newland, North Carolina., which put out a call for five campers needed to shelter individuals.

Upon returning to Lycoming County, Newhart said Camp Susque, a designated non-profit camp, jumped at the chance to help with the cause.

The original fundraising goal of $60,000 was set up to buy at least five gently-used campers to send to N.C.

With help from C.H. Waltz and Sons recreational vehicles were provided.

Today, Camp Susque continues to accept financial donations to purchase more travel trailers.

To date, Compassionate Campers raised over $137,556 and had 203 supporters, as of the latest Facebook post.

Flood relief supplies and toys

Among the area residents who contributed to flood relief were Kevin Breen, a retired Williamsport Bureau of Fire fire engineer and firefighter, and his wife, Denise, who used their own hauling service Orange Blossom Services, LLC, to take donations of clothing, cleaning supplies to Boone, North Carolina, and other flooded zones and then returned to bring joy to the children before Christmas with loads of donated and purchased toys.

“We’re partnering with the State Line Resource Station and Rural Distribution Center, which covers Watauga County, N.C. (Boone, N.C.) and Johnson County, Tennessee, or Trade, Tenn. as well as Avery County Airfield – We The People Missing – which covers Avery County, N.C. and Banner Elk, N.C., Breen said of the second delivery trip before Christmas.

The trips were done at Breen’s expense and the most recent donations led to purchasing at least 10 pre-lit trees and decorations as well as some gifts for the children.

Breen collected the Helen relief and then toys both times at 127 Reynolds St., South Williamsport, and on his Facebook page thanked those who donated the supplies on both of the runs.

A township fire company and neighbor

In any disaster of a proportion such as Debby, the state and federal officials post-flooding always try to seek disaster relief, and that was done for communities such as Trout Run and parts of Tioga County.

For those in Trout Run and the immediate vicinity, the Hepburn Township VFC building and manpower was used by Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Lycoming County EMA, and other State Agencies to operate a Multi-Agency Resource Center.

This MARC was for all of Lycoming County residents who were affected by the flooding from Tropical Storm Debby, not just those in the immediate area.

Hepburn Township VFC donated the social hall to the agencies at no cost, Confer said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency then used Hepburn Township VFC for over a month to set up a Disaster Relief Center for Lycoming County, again this was donated at no cost by the Hepburn Township VFC.

Major storms and back-to-back service

Since Aug. 9, the Hepburn Township VFC, which prides itself on being a community fire department, stepped up and was ready to help everyone that needed assistance whether locally, or in another state.

“We have a saying at Hepburn Township VFC, we are here before an emergency, during an emergency, and after an emergency,” Confer stressed.

“Aug. 9 was a very chaotic day for us at Hepburn Township VFC,” said Confer.

“We received over 9 inches of rain in a short amount of time, which caused flash flooding to areas that we have never had flooding before, especially Pleasant Valley Road area,” he said.

The fire company responded to the Pleasant Valley Road area around 8:45 a.m. to rescue five people trapped in their house, and with the help of South Williamsport’s Boat 5 people were evacuated from their house.

The Emergency Operations Center was quickly established by the chief and members of the HTVFC.

Around 9:30 a.m. the ambulance and the South Williamsport’s boat were dispatched to Trout Run for a water rescue.

“They ended up staying up there to assist with the flooding to Trout Run,” Confer related.

Hepburn Township VFC also opened an emergency evacuation shelter.

The company requested assistance from the Red Cross through Lycoming County EMA. “All the evacuees that were at Trout Run were moved to our evacuation center with coordination from Confer and Trout Run’s Fire Chief Nick Smith.

Members of the Hepburn Township VFC started to cook meals for all the evacuees, the first responders and other people who would stop in and needed assistance. While this was all going on, the rest of the members were out evacuating residents, responding to accidents, fire alarms, water rescues, rope rescues, EMS calls and a ton of other emergencies.

“We ended up with boats from Picture Rocks VFC, Muncy Area Fire Department, PA Fish and Boat Commission, and state Game Commission,” Confer remarked.

The boats evacuated 16 people in the area, and five were rescued via ropes from Route 15 North.

Flooding took place in the Pleasant Valley Road area, Quiggelville area of 973 West, 973 West around Sawmill Road, Mckee Road, Lycoming Creek Road around Pleasant Hill Road, Cottage Avenue, Oberlin Avenue, Beauty Avenue, Kenyon Avenue, and Beauty’s Run Road. Plus, there were a lot of small streams that flooded houses next to them.

The fire apparatus and the EOC were staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The emergency evacuation shelter was open from 9 a.m. and remained open until Sunday Aug. 11, at 5 p.m.

“During the whole time the shelter was opened we fed over 50 people three meals a day, and around 24 people spent Friday night the 9th overnight in the emergency evacuation shelter. Around 12 people spent the night Saturday the 10th overnight.

Friday night and Saturday night fire company members would sleep over in the emergency evacuation shelter just to make sure all the evacuees were taken care of. “We received donations from numerous businesses, organizations, churches, and even Clinton County EMA,” Confer stressed.

Throughout the day Sunday the 11th, members organized and delivered food, water and cleaning supplies to the people in the communities that were affected.

Other members assisted with damage assessments for the townships Emergency Management Coordinator. Between Aug. 9 to Aug. 11, Hepburn Township VFC members logged over 1,200 hours of service to the community.

During the week of Aug. 11, through Aug. 17, Hepburn Township VFC members would regularly go to Trout Run and assist where they could help them with the flood recovery.

“We also sent firefighters along with South Williamsport FD in South Williamsport’s Rescue up to Knoxville, in Tioga County to cover calls while they assisted with looking for the gentlemen who were washed away from the flooding.”

“As the fire chief of the Hepburn Township VFC, words can’t express the appreciation I have for this department. I’m extremely proud of every single member of the fire department,” Confer said.

“Being the fire chief of this department is easy when you have an amazing team of men and women who will do everything to help everyone and anyone in need,” he said.

“Thank you to all that donated and helped make this trip happen, we cannot say thank you enough.”