Senate Resolution No. 352

BY: Senator BROOKS

COMMENDING Roger Harwood upon the occasion of his
retirement after 54 years of distinguished service
to the Wantagh Fire District

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
honor those distinguished citizens who would devote themselves to public
service, demonstrating great courage and diligence in providing for the
care and welfare of the citizens of their communities and this great
Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Within every community of the State of New York there are
certain individuals who, by virtue of their commitment and dedication,
command the respect and admiration of their community for their
exemplary contributions and service on behalf of others; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commend Roger Harwood upon the occasion of his retirement after 54 years
of distinguished service to the Wantagh Fire District; and

WHEREAS, For over five decades, Roger Harwood rendered faithful,
conscientious and valuable service to the people of Wantagh, New York,
earning the admiration, esteem and affection of his colleagues; in 54
years, he proudly worked with 28 different Fire Chiefs; and

WHEREAS, A resident of Seaford, New York, Roger Harwood grew up in
Wantagh; he joined the fire department in 1959, shortly before he
graduated from Wantagh High School; six years later, he met his future
wife, Fran; together, the couple purchased a home in Seaford, two blocks
away from his childhood home; and

WHEREAS, Following in his father's footsteps, Roger Harwood became a
dispatcher with the Wantagh Fire District on May 1, 1962; for 16 years,
he proudly worked alongside his father at the dispatcher's desk
answering calls from the public for a fire or emergency, and gathering
as much information as possible and relaying it to the appropriate fire
and emergency medical service units; and

WHEREAS, Roger Harwood was also responsible for monitoring all radio
transmissions, calling for additional resources as needed and listening
to other radios for more information while coordinating a response as
well as recording the times that firefighters leave and return to their
stations; and

WHEREAS, Known as the voice of Wantagh, Roger Harwood has heard it
all, from cats stuck in trees to power lines knocked down by
hurricane-force winds and fierce fires; throughout his meritorious
career, he has fielded thousands of calls from people in distress in the
district, which includes all of Wantagh; parts of Seaford, Levittown,
East Meadow and Bellmore; and Jones Beach State Park and Tobay Beach;
and

WHEREAS, One of the most challenging events that Roger Harwood
worked through was Hurricane Sandy in 2012; he was one of four Wantagh
dispatchers on call during the storm, answering seemingly endless calls
for help; and

WHEREAS, Roger Harwood controlled the flow of radio traffic with
precision and maintained calm in the midst of some of the most stressful
situations; through any incident, he had a special way of communicating
with department members; he often employed various quips such as "we
have a duet" when more than one unit had to be transmitted to an
incident, for many different types of situations, which tipped members
off to the fact that he was on duty; and

WHEREAS, Through his long and distinguished career, Roger Harwood
had to adapt to new technologies while on the job, as the district now
uses computer-aided dispatching with GPS, route mapping, and other
texting and alerting procedures; always eager for a challenge, he was
responsible for training all of Wantagh's dispatchers; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the occurrence of such a compassionate
blending of strength, leadership, intellect, and commitment as that
demonstrated by Roger Harwood over a lifetime of sacrifice and
dedication to others; and

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that those
dedicated public servants who unselfishly devote their lives to the
preservation of order and the protection of others are worthy and due
full praise for their commitment and noble endeavors; now, therefore, be
it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Roger Harwood upon the occasion of his retirement after 54 years
of distinguished service to the Wantagh Fire District; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Roger Harwood.