Volunteer helps with Jersey Shore recovery

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chelsea Smith
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  As Hurricane Sandy's sharp winds and high tides approached, first responders suited up to prepare for the worst.

In his role as a volunteer firefighter with the Avon-by-the-Sea Volunteer Fire Department, Master Sgt. Joseph Gentile, a first sergeant with the 76th Air Refueling Squadron, assumed his duties by assisting numerous residents bound to be displaced by the hurricane.

A team comprised of Gentile and more than 30 first responders began their response efforts Sunday, preceding the hurricane, by alerting residents of Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar, Neptune City and Bradley Beach to evacuate flood-prone areas. In an attempt to minimize flood impacts from nearby Sylvan Lake, the team also used engines to pump out a lake in the area, said Gentile.

As residents cleared the area and took refuge at local shelters, responders also ensured vehicles and equipment were completely fueled, and food supplies and water were abundant for volunteers working the aftermath of the storm, he said.

By morning, as the remnants of Sandy subsided, the picturesque shore known for its beautiful beaches and boardwalks, was nearly obliterated amid the destruction.

"The town of Belmar was forever changed," said Gentile. "There were flood waters for several days after the storm, and approximately 90 percent of its ocean front was destroyed. The biggest impact on me was witnessing people piling their belongings on the curb when they returned to find their houses destroyed."

Throughout the storm and the following days, responders operated all available vehicles, and manned the firehouse to facilitate questions from local residents, he said. Once conditions cleared, there was no time to be idle as the occasion called for swift recovery efforts.

"When I wasn't working on base, I was spending all my time at the firehouse," Gentile said. "I was splitting time between sleeping and responding to calls. We responded to three separate structure fires, all in the neighboring town of Belmar, within the three days during and after the storm."

Due to the extent of damage, days working on base were often cut short to attend to duties, such as purchasing food and water, during recovery efforts. However, Gentile said leadership here was understanding of his role as a first responder and allowed him to leave early to assist.

The volunteer firefighter training is not designed to prepare responders for natural disasters on the scale of Sandy, but the major weather-related emergencies of the past few years have changed their perspective.

Gentile said the team plans to keep their tactics the same, but with a heightened sense that the area is vulnerable to major storms in the future.