We got a vivid demonstration on Friday afternoon of what we’ve always known to be true — Mulberry’s owes its existence to its Hometown Heroes. The atmospheric river on Friday turned out to be more than a nuisance at Mulberry’s. At about 2:30 p.m., our ceiling started to leak from multiple places, with water eventually pouring in from a dozen different spots and 2-3” puddles forming throughout the entire store. Anyone who has ever tried to call a roofer during a rain storm knows how that was going to turn out.
Concerned about safety, with water running through the lights, speakers and cameras on the ceiling, we ran across the street to ask the Fire Department for guidance. What we got was far, far more than guidance! The team raced over with ladders, expertise, and a determination to figure out what was going on up on top of Mulberry’s.
There was certainly no requirement for them to get up on the roof in the pouring rain, clear a bunch of blocked drains, bring a pump from across the street over to pump gallons of water off the roof, and manage the whole life-safety issues of cutting the power and directing people to leave the store. And yet that is exactly what they did, in the most professional manner possible.
Giant thank you to Captain Justin McNulty, Engineer Anthony Renteria, Firefighter-Paramedics Brian Prothero, Niko Christ, and Gary Randolf. We’re honestly not sure what we would have done without their help. Thanks also to Chief Brannigan for clearly setting a culture of urgency and public service. And a shout out to the Mulberry’s team, who always manages to take whatever comes their way in stride and completed the massive clean up in record time so we could open Saturday morning. It takes a village, and we’re so glad for all of our village heroes!