AUGUSTA, ME (02/19/2015)(readMedia)-- The Maine Army National Guard sent nearly 55 troops along with heavy equipment to assist Massachusetts with their snow removal for an official Snow Disaster declaration.

Soldiers and equipment from the 185th Engineer Support Company, the 262nd Engineer Company (Horizontal) and the 136th Engineer Company (Vertical) are currently digging out Massachusetts with snow removal equipment after record snow accumulation hit the Boston area.

"Getting hit by two massive storms back to back was just more than anybody could have imagined would have happened to us," said Andrew Bagdonas, program coordinator, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. "It's just been a very bad weather pattern."

After receiving more than 96 inches of snow within a month, the Governor declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts to allow emergency officials to begin coordinating with neighboring states and the private sector to secure much needed heavy equipment for snow removal.

The request for assistance came through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid agreement among all 50 states. Once approved through the Maine Emergency Management Agency, and Maine Governor, Paul R. LePage, the Maine Army National Guard sent help to clear the snow.

"Our resources were exhausted," said Bagdonas. "We didn't have the space, we didn't have the equipment needed to move the snow piles, and for the residents to see a train of National Guard trucks come down the highway to help was a welcome sense of relief for people to say we are going to return to a state of normalcy."

Soldiers are working in tandem with Massachusetts public safety to remove snow and reduce snow banks, whatever is needed for public safety and for keeping the roads open and safe.

Loaders are used to fill dump trucks and then sent to empty parking lots or fields and away from roads and intersections.

Sgt Michael Allen, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 262nd is in Bedford, assisting with the snow removal and said he was happy to be helping out. "This is why I joined the National Guard. I feel like it's my duty and hopefully someone would do it for me in return."

This isn't the first time Allen has been activated for a state emergency with the Maine Guard. He volunteered to aide Vermont during Hurricane Irene and New York State during Winter Storm Nemo, each deployment has shown him the benefit for his unit as well as the comminutes he is helping.

"It's a very good experience. A lot of the stuff we do here we would do on deployments. You build stronger teams and everyone knows what their teammates are capable of. You learn your job better," said Allen.

The Maine Soldiers are expected to return to Maine early next week but according to Bagdonas they have greatly sped-up the recovery process and the residents are grateful for a professional job.

"The feedback has been entirely positive," said Bagdonas. "The thank-you Soldiers receive in the field, the politicians that call and are just so appreciative, the mayors and selectman that have asked for assistance, they love having the help and its well received in the commonwealth of Massachusetts."

Posted Thursday February 19, 2015 at 04:02 pm by Maine Army National Guard
Last Updated Friday February 20, 2015 at 08:07 am