Corbin first responders are doing what they can to help their neighbors to the north recover from this weekend’s tornado devastation, including two Corbin firefighters who lost homes in the Laurel County tornado.
Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus told the Corbin City Commission during its regular monthly meeting Monday that the Corbin Fire Department and Corbin Police Department are believed to have been the first two out of county agencies to respond to Laurel County late Friday evening to assist with disaster efforts.
Corbin Police Chief Rusty Hedrick said that his phone started ringing about 2:30 a.m. Saturday from officers requesting permission to volunteer to respond to the disaster.
“They are back at work. They aren’t complaining about being tired. They are ready to go back. I applaud them very much,” Hedrick said.
Corbin Fire Chief Barry McDonald said that his firefighters have pretty much been either on duty in the City of Corbin or have been up in Laurel County helping the two firefighters get their houses to the point where they can get some of their belongings out.
“Pray for everybody and we will get through this,” McDonald said.
Corbin City Manager Scott Williamson said that he has had conversations with London Mayor Randall Weddle, but hasn’t had the chance to speak to Laurel County Judge-Executive David Westerfield yet.
“Just God bless them. We are there for them,” Williamson said.
Local resident Andrea Mayne spoke out at Monday’s meeting about the Laurel County tornado and urged the city to make sure that its first responders have adequate and working equipment not only for mutual aid purposes, but for anything that might happen here in town.
“It could very well have been us,” she pointed out. “Whether it be a drone or Tasers or anything they need, make sure they have adequate and working equipment. It is so vitally important.”
Razmus said that the city funds all its departments the best that it can.
Also, during Monday’s meeting, Williamson spoke about paving work planned for this year in the city.
Williamson said that he isn’t sure what impact the tornado might have on work that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet had planned to do locally this year.
He said that he has also spoken with the contractors, who have the city’s asphalt bid, and that asphalt paving will take place at some point this year on city streets.
“We are working on it just as fast as we can,” Williamson said.
Razmus added that the city should be able to do a decent amount of paving this year since the city wasn’t able to do any asphalt paving work last year and still has those funds available.
