Brunswick Co. sheriff takes to snowy streets, aiding drivers and residents
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY-TV) – In Brunswick County, Sheriff Brian Chism has gone beyond the call of duty as a visible figure in the mist of patrolling the roads for collisions and drivers in need.
“If we have any kind of weather event, or major incident, I’m going to be out, I’m not going to be at home, I can’t,” Chism said.
Since Sunday, Chism left his usual post behind a desk as sheriff and hit the streets.
“Unfortunately in my position, it doesn’t happen as much as I would like for it to but if I get a slight day then yes I get out there, try to answer calls and that’s the fun part of the job,” Chism said.
After Brunswick County saw more than several inches of snow fall over the weekend, he’s worried for drivers on un-plowed secondary streets and roads with black ice.
“They won’t see that and they’ll come up on it and depending on how they re-act they can end up in the ditch,” Chism said.
On Monday, one driver on Highway 17 attempted to avoid a possible collision and got stuck in the slush and snow near a median. Chism got the driver back to safety.
Just a few moments before that, Chism gave a man walking alongside a roadway in the snow a ride home.
Chism said as a sheriff in a county that is primarily made up of retired residents 65 and older, they are there for those who aren’t able to help themselves in times of need, such as one man in a wheel chair who needed propane on Sunday.
“He was not going to be able to get out this morning potentially so it was just easier for us to go help him and do that versus him trying to get out to his truck in a wheelchair with all that snow and ice,” Chism said.
For Chism, it’s important to have a little fun outside of his sheriff’s duties, such as racing some kids down a snow-covered overpass hill.
“That was fun, that was fun,” Chism said.
Chism said the past weekend’s storm was a good example for how their office aims to be ready for anything.
“I consider us a full-service sheriff’s office, it really doesn’t matter if its our problem or not, if we can figure out a way to help them, then we’re going to help them,” Chism said.
