Seconds after the lights went out in most of the Northeast, the phone at the Garden City Fire Department began ringing. From elevator rescues to excessive false alarms, the seemingly quiet summer day turned into the busiest 15 hours the fire department has experienced in years.

The first call came in at 4:13 p.m. when the fire alarm was triggered at the Wyndham East apartment building on Hilton Avenue when the back-up generator started immediately following the power outage.

"Power interruptions bring us a very high volume of alarms. By design, the alarm senses when there is trouble and the system responds by sounding. When alarm systems, both fire and security, are connected to central stations, they require emergency response when they are activated, making blackouts very straining on police and fire departments," Garden City Fire Chief Thomas Foley said.

Five minutes after the power outage, the Garden City Fire Department began receiving calls for people stuck in elevators in two Franklin Avenue buildings. All occupants were safely removed and evacuated from the darkened building.

Train service was also halted during the blackout. Garden City has two major train lines running through it and trains were stuck on both. The Garden City Fire Department safely evacuated over 100 people from trains on the Hempstead and Main Line. Firefighters found the passengers to be dehydrated and provided them with cold bottled water following their evacuation.

Immediately following the blackout, all three fire stations in the village were placed on emergency back-up generators. Volunteer crews stayed on duty throughout the night to ensure rapid response and adequate manpower.

The fire department responded to 30 emergency alarms between 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14 and 7 a.m. Friday, Aug. 15. "Our quick response to this incredible volume of alarms could not have been possible if it were not for the outstanding work of our volunteer and career firefighters. I would like to thank the overwhelming number of Garden City volunteer firefighters who left their families and stepped up to help Garden City in a time of need. I would also like to thank the career firefighters who remained on duty to serve the village," Chief Foley added.

The blackout came in the middle of an already busy week. A little before 5 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 11 the fire department was called to assist the New Hyde Park Fire Department at the scene of a store fire on Jericho Turnpike. The department, along with other area fire departments, battled the blaze, which started in Roseanne's Cards Galore. The fire quickly spread to the occupied apartments above the store and one occupant was injured.

Around 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, the fire department was called to assist the Westbury Fire Department with a fire at Roosevelt Field Mall. The fire started in the hydrologic pump of an elevator motor in the basement. The fire was contained to an electrical room in the sub-level of the mall but did create a significant smoke condition in the mall itself and the stores above the fire. The fire also created a significant heat condition that activated the mall's sprinkler system, which made it difficult to fight the blaze. Fortunately, the mall was unoccupied at the time.

The blackout was a difficult situation for everyone involved. The Garden City Fire Department was only one part of the village's transition into darkness.

"The fine work of the Garden City Fire Department and the Garden City Police Department, along with other village services, including the Water Department and the Department of Public Works, matched with the spirit of our residents, truly kept the village going during this brief but difficult time," Chief Foley concluded.