By CASSANDRA MICKENS/Associate Editor

CALERA — Calera emergency responders worked around the clock transporting children from their respective schools to their homes following Tuesday’s winter storm.

“Even our mayor, Jon Graham, assisted in getting these kids home to their families,” said Calera Police Chief Sean Lemley in an email to the Shelby County Reporter. “I personally drove a Humvee and took over a dozen kids home. This was repeated by several police officers, firefighters and public works crews equipped with special response vehicles.

While Lemley does know exact number of children returned to their families, he estimates more than 50 children were transported home.

“The last child was delivered home last night around 9:30,” Lemley said. “A handful of children was sheltered at one school, due to their parents being stuck in traffic in Jefferson County and no one being home to take the children.

“In addition to getting children home, officers transported several dozen stranded motorists home and to safety,” Lemley said.

Emergency dispatchers fielded more than 100 calls, and police and fire crews responded to more than 50 car wrecks over the course of the night, Lemley said. In addition, public works crews dumped sand on the roads.

“While we could not stop the ice from forming on the roads and could not prevent people from wrecking everywhere, our city employees did an outstanding job helping our community get through this dangerous event,” Lemley said.  “I am very proud and very thankful of the job our employees did.