Evans Center Firefighter/AEMT Mike Kauzala, Asst. Chief/EMT John Latimore, AEMT Sarah Hull, Chief/EMT-I Dennis Allen, Firefighter/Paramedic Doug Milks and Firefighter/EMT Mike Hontz (L-R) pose in front of their station before embarking on the WTC Disaster Mission. Fire Department Chaplain Rev. Donald A. Loos joined them and other members in a moment of prayer before the team left for staging at the Erie County Fire Training Academy in Cheektowaga.
The first wave deployment consisted of units from Big Tree, Boston EMS, Chaffee-Sardinia, Clarence Center, East Amherst, East Seneca, Evans Center, Getzville, Harris Hill, Highland Hose, Lancaster EMS, Main-Transit, Marilla, Newstead, North Collins EMS, Orchard Park, Reserve, Scranton, Spring Brook, Vigilant, West Falls and Woodlawn Volunteer Fire Companies.
The convoy of ambulances was lead by Erie County Deputy Commissioner of EMS Greg Skibitsky and Fr. Joe Bayne, chaplain of the Department of Emergency Services in one the county's command vehicles.
The 130 EMS personnel sat in the Fire Academy's drill tower while filling out the necessary accountability paperwork and waiting for deployment instructions from Emergency Services Commissioner Michael V. Walters and Deputy Commissioners James M. McCullough (Fire) and Greg Skibitsky (EMS).
A total of 22 EMS units from across the county lined up in front of the County's Cheektowaga Fire Training Academy in preparation for deployment to New York City. The Cheektowaga Police Department used eight patrol cars to escort the convoy from the Fire Academy to the Williamsville toll barrier on the New York State Thruway.
