By Anthony Orozco
Reading Eagle
READING, PA — The snowstorm that hit Berks County and much of the East Coast over the weekend crippled traffic, smothered roadways and kept many people indoors.
But emergency crews stayed on the clock and a Reading Fire Department EMS crews fought the elements Saturday afternoon, responding to calls around the city.
Perhaps inevitably given the depth of the snow, the large truck got stuck at the corner of East Wyomissing Avenue and Patton Avenue in the Oakbrook section of the city.
But neighbors nearby were not going to let the EMS team stay bogged down for long.
“I was on the phone with my friend Nilda (Rivera) and she said there was an EMS stuck in the snow outside,” said Jessica Crawford. “My kids had already shoveled, came inside and changed their clothes but when I told them, they changed and ran out there.”
Crawford’s children Asia, 20, Jamie, 22, and Jason, 16, rushed outside to the knee-deep snow with shovels in hand and started excavating the EMS truck.
Family friend and neighbor Rivera went out and filmed as the Crawfords dug the vehicle out of the snow.
“I think these kids should be recognized,” Rivera said. “You always hear negative things about kids in Reading but you never hear about things like this.”
Asia and Jamie are graduates of Reading High School and Jamie is a 10th-grade student at the high school. Asia is currently in her third year studying early education at Kutztown University.
“Nilda told us it was stuck and we went over and dug it out,” Asia said nonchalantly several days after. “We got it out in about 10 or 15 minutes.”
Rivera’s videos and photos of the Crawfords battling against the snow have spread across Facebook pages with hundreds of “likes,” shares and comments praising the act of kindness.
“Congratulations to Asia, Jamie, and Jason,” Holly Smith commented in a video posted on the Facebook set up to help elect incumbent Reading Mayor Wally Scott. “You were great kids at Lauer’s Park and obviously grown into super young adults. Your mother must be very proud. She did a great job with all of you!”
Crawford said she is not surprised by the quick response of her children.
“I think if someone needed help, they would help,” she said.
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