CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. – At the start of the blizzard on Friday, Demetrice and Danielle lost power in their home in Williamsville (NY), so they packed their kids up Aayden, (8), Aubree (4), Jordynn (2), and Judah (9 months) and headed to a local hotel, according to an NFTA press release.
The roads and visibility were treacherous and their vehicle got stuck. Demetrice and Danielle were one of many motorist stuck in the roundabout on Aero and Youngs Road. Buffalo Airport Firefighters Mike Carrubba, Mark Wolhfiel and Joel Eberth rescued 42 people, and brought them to the ARFF Facility. Demetrice and Danielle were the only ones with young children so they stayed in the firehouse. Aayden asked if he could be in uniform and was given a uniform and department T-shirt and learned about dispatch.
“It was an amazing experience for our firefighters and it definitely made us better people,” said Joel Eberth, Assistant Chief Buffalo Airport Fire Department. “With them being here, Christmas became a big concern because Aayden was so excited that Santa would know he was here and he would get to celebrate at a real firehouse and we didn’t want to disappoint, so we were able to find several items in the firehouse to wrap for the family and with the amazing help from the field office delivering some items from the terminal, we were able to make sure Santa paid a visit.”
About the NFTA
The NFTA is a regional multi-modal transportation authority responsible for airport and surface transportation in Erie and Niagara counties. NFTA/NFTM businesses include a bus, rail and ADA paratransit system, two commercial airports, and transportation centers in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. In 2019, a J.D. Power study ranked the Buffalo Niagara International Airport highest in customer satisfaction for medium sized airports in North America.