Lake Meredith NRA and Borger City Firefighters Assist in Hurricane Sandy Recovery Efforts

The historic bath house at Jacob Riis Park was heavily damaged by storm surge. L to R: Jerry Langwell, Jason Whistler, Chance Paris, Todd Wood, Brian Earls, Kel Schoenhals, Jason Pender, and Shawn Burelson secured the building with fencing.

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area (NRA) has invested many hours training firefighters in local communities to assist the National Park Service in times of need. These local citizens are employed as administratively determined hires and use their skills to enhance the park’s workforce. In November 2012, six Borger City firefighters and two crew leaders from Lake Meredith NRA were part of a 20-person saw team removing hazardous trees from damaged NPS sites during Hurricane Sandy response.

They worked in the Gateway National Recreation Area, located around the Jamaica Bay in New York and New Jersey, helping to secure areas including the Jacob Riis Park, Frank Charles Memorial Park, Hamilton Beach, Fort Tilden, Canarsie Pier, and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

The partnership between Lake Meredith NRA and Borger City not only provides qualified firefighters to respond to national emergencies but also to protect our local communities from wildfires.

Contact: Bruce Fields, fire management officer, Lake Meredith NRA
Email: e-mail us
Phone: [phone]