Hamburg, N.Y. (WBEN) - Following the deadly home explosion in the West Lane neighborhood of Hamburg, police, fire officials, and other community organizations held a meeting Thursday night to offer support and resources to residents during the ongoing investigation.
"Oftentimes, we don't necessarily keep them in the loop with services available or what we are doing. We wanted to bring them together to explain to them some of the things that we are doing from the police department point of view, some of the things we are doing for the investigation, some of the services available to them," stated Town of Hamburg Police Captain John Baker.
Baker explained that a large part of the meeting was highlighting the importance of community support, mental health, and the need for neighbors to check on each other.
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"I thought it was a great turnout. They asked multiple questions. A lot of it was focus on the mental health. This was a very large critical incident. A lot of times people aren't exposed to this sort of thing. I thought the one big takeaway from our mental health professionals was to rely on your neighbors. Get out and check on each other. If you're doing great with something, it doesn't mean that your friend next door is," stated Baker in an interview with WBEN.
Licensed mental health professionals from the Red Cross were also present, offering resources and guidance to help residents cope with trauma.
"Everything is different for everybody, and just be open to how you're feeling. It may take a while, so people may realize weeks, months later, that they're actually feeling some of those symptoms. They're having a hard time sleeping or eating, or their coping mechanisms aren't working, and that's a great time to reach out and ask for some help," stated one of the Red Cross volunteers.