Thanks to everyone who was there to help

Norwalk Reflector, Ohio
·3 min read

Jan. 23—WILLARD — To say it was all hands on deck would be an understatement.

They came from near and far Thursday night in response to a fire at the Blossom Healthcare facility in Willard.

This is a letter of thanks from Willard City Manager Bryson Hamons and Willard Fire & Rescue Chief Joe Reiderman:

Last (Thursday) night a potential tragedy was averted, which could have been a catastrophic event for our community. The Blossom Healthcare building was severely damaged due to an unfortunate fire caused by a lightning strike. Thankfully all 63 patients (50 nursing home, 13 assisted living) were safely evacuated across the street to the Willard First United Methodist Church until they could be placed in other facilities. In a time of need, it was truly amazing to see how the Willard neighboring communities responded to assist each other.

The City of Willard would like to thank the following departments and organizations for their assistance last night.

First and foremost, the residents and staff of Blossom Healthcare for executing their evacuation plan. The residents for their patience and courage during the evacuation and placement into temporary living arrangements as our thoughts and prayers remain with you during this traumatic event. This event should remind all organizations and businesses to practice evacuation plans regularly.

We would like to thank the brave men and women of the Willard Fire and Rescue, Willard Police and Dispatch, and Willard Maintenance Department as they were assisted by numerous other agencies to combat the fire, including:

—Norwalk Fire Department

—Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department

—Shiloh Fire Department

—Greenwich Tri-Community Joint Fire Dept.

—Shelby Fire Department

—Seneca County EMS

—Ohio State Fire Marshal

—Huron County EMA

—Columbia Gas

—Bellevue Fire Department

—Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department

—Attica-Venice-Reed (AVR) Fire District

—Tiro-Auburn Volunteer Department

—Chatfield Fire Department

—Ohio State Fire Marshall

—Huron County Sheriff's Office

—AEP: American Electric Power

The amazing organizations that assisted in evacuating the residents to other facilities:

—Willard City Schools

—Huron County Dept. of JFS

—North Central EMS

—First United Methodist Church

—Mercy Health Willard Hospital

—Numerous other organizations

—South Central Schools

—Huron County Commissioners

—Lynx EMS

—Firelands Ambulance Service

—Fisher-Titus Medical Center

Healthcare facilities that arranged and accepted residents from Blossom Healthcare

—Mercy Health Willard Hospital

—Willows at Willard

—Liberty Nursing Center

—Gaymont Care and Rehabilitation

—Twilight Gardens Nursing Home

Willard restaurants that provided food for emergency response crews, nurses and residents.

—Domino's

—McDonald's

—Bruno Pizzeria

—Taco Bell

—East of Chicago Pizza

—Danny Ray's Pizzeria

—Dollar General

Community volunteers assisted in evacuating the residents and assisted with patient care while they were temporarily housed at the church. This includes Blossom Healthcare workers, nurses from other agencies, retired nurses, former staff members, a talented accordion player, and other selfless community members attending to the resident's needs.

Willard, Huron County, and surrounding area is blessed with wonderful giving people who are willing to assist others in their time of need. Once again, thanks to everyone who helped turn a potential tragedy into a response that shows the strength, generosity, and compassion that our community has for each other.