BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — The Buffalo Police Department and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown honored some of Buffalo’s finest who went above and beyond the call of duty during last December’s Christmas blizzard.
More than three dozen city officers were given awards for their courageous work Friday at Buffalo Police Headquarters.
@BuffaloNYPolice & @MayorByronBrown honoring officers with Medal of Valor. https://t.co/dBJH7amttO pic.twitter.com/K9IOO5w7zn
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) November 17, 2023
The ceremony included a video featuring Buffalo Police body cam footage capturing apocalyptic-like moments in the Queen City from the deadly blizzard.
“Can you take me home?” a citizen asked police. “Where’s home?” asked the officer in the footage.
“The term heroics is thrown around a lot, particularly in sports are often the first responders. This is true heroics,” commented Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, Buffalo Police Department.
38 hours of hurricane-force winds and record snowfall didn't stop our men and women 'in Blue' from doing what they do best — saving lives.
"I’ve heard story after story of how upset our officers were, I know how upset I was when calls for help were made and we couldn't get to them," stated Gramaglia.
Commissioner Gramaglia and Mayor Brown honored nearly 40 police officers calling them “unsung heroes” and saying more lives would have been lost without their brave actions.
“You just click into emergency mode and figure out a way to make things happen. This was extraordinary — nothing that any of us had ever experienced,” remarked Lt. Jenny Velez. “We knew we were responsible for the residents/citizens in our community as well as people under our command and we knew there was no stepping back. We had to push forward and be innovated and figure out how we were going to make it work to save as many people as we could."
Buffalo Police Lt. Jenny Velez and Lt. Courtney Tripp of the C-District on the east side managed to cook, clean, and command while sheltering dozens of stranded residents and officers throughout the storm.
“The crew that we had, they missed Christmas with their families, the ones with kids, Santa came late, the kids never knew, but I can't thank the guys enough,” noted Lt. Tripp.
Officers were also honored for rescuing stranded motorists on the 33 and other city streets.
“Do you want my jacket?” an officer asked. “No, I think I’m okay,” replied a citizen.
Some officers were recognized for saving a woman and the baby she had just given birth to. Others, like Officer John Davidson and his partner, found a lost boy in south Buffalo.
“Probably the most significant thing we did was assist in finding a 10-year-old boy who was lost out in the storm,” recalled Officer Davidson. “What was that like for you?” Buckley asked. “It was interesting. It was something that my partner didn't really hesitate to do,” answered Davidson. “It's heartbreaking anytime there's people in trouble. It was a positive outcome. We found the young man.”
But why did the department wait nearly a year later to commemorate these officers? I asked the police commissioner that question.
“But there was a lot that we had to go through, and it didn't fit the time frame of the first award ceremony, and it is kind of almost appropriate with the winter season coming upon us,” responded Commissioner Gramaglia.
I also asked Mayor Brown why the work of these officers wasn’t showcased sooner, given some of the criticism the city has received for its response to the storm.
“While there has been criticism, there has also been a lot of praise. And, you know, we don't necessarily do things for public attention or public praise. What these officers did during the Blizzard of 2022 was about saving lives,” replied Mayor Brown.
Officers were forced into jobs of not only rescuing people but also assisting in gathering the deceased. The city's Homicide, SWAT and Underwater Rescue teams also received awards for stepping in to be part of that unforeseeable mission.
“And our officers, our detectives, members of our department had to go out and had to do that tough work of transporting them to the morgue or to other locations to hospitals. That’s work that we don't do. We had to call an audible. We had to deviate from what we normally do, and I’ve got such fantastic command staff members,” Gramaglia noted.
