Palmetto employees deserve accolades for Irma efforts

The employees of the City of Palmetto are to be commended for their efforts in preparing for, and recovering from, Hurricane Irma. While emergency responders are rightfully recognized for the work they do in sometimes dangerous situations, all too often the efforts of our municipal public works employees are taken for granted, and I believe they deserve a big “thank you” for what they do in emergency situations and on a daily basis to make our lives better.

These days, famous athletes, entertainers and politicians get the headlines for their achievements, and some of them have done great work with fund-raising and recovery efforts for the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, as well as for those affected by the numerous fires out west. Since 9/11, we have been careful to recognize and thank first responders and military members who put their lives on the line every day, and they deserve the accolades, given the importance of their work, though they are woefully underpaid.

Also, I’m sure many of us saw the bucket trucks from local and distant power companies in the gargantuan effort to restore power to Florida, and I appreciated their presence even more after having gone a few days without power.

But it’s often too easy to overlook the contributions of municipal employees, as well as the volunteers who man our shelters in times of crisis.

My sincere appreciation goes out to all the paid employees and volunteers who have been dealing with Hurricane Irma and its aftermath.

This story was originally published September 24, 2017 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Palmetto employees deserve accolades for Irma efforts."