To the Editor:
I would like to thank all of the first responders from the Oneida Fire Department, Oneida Police Department, Vineall Ambulance Service, Madison County Sherriff Department, and the New York State Police for their compassionate, professional and swift actions in responding to the motor vehicle accident of June 19, 2013 on Route 5 in Oneida. The Doctors, PA’s, RN’s, LPN’s at the Oneida Healthcare Center also went above and beyond to provide compassionate health care.
I thank God that no one was seriously injured with life threatening injuries.
What a city we have here called Oneida. There are so many things today that make us turn our heads away from wanting to be involved. I’ve lived in the Oneida area all of my life growing up here. On this day, I saw what I always knew to be true and it resurrected my faith in the human kindness of strangers.
Before first responders or staff from Madison Cortland ARC could even arrive at the scene, which was only minutes, good Samaritans driving by jumped out of their cars to help, neighbors where the bus accident occurred in front of or near their homes came out to help set up temporary triage areas on their lawns. Complete strangers were assisting 17 people, some visibly upset and injured.
I witnessed people helping people, no “us”, no “them”, no disabilities, just people.
There are so many that gave of themselves that day that I could not begin to list them all. I will just say thank you to the best team of employees that any agency could ask for, thank you to all of the first responders, thank you to the Oneida Healthcare emergency room staff, thank you to the good Samaritans driving by at the time of the accident, and thank you to our neighbors on Route 5 and to the community called Oneida.
I am so proud of our employees and so thankful for this community called Oneida and the wonderful people who helped strangers on this day.
Sincerely,
Jack C. Campbell
Executive Director