Our Darkest Hours

Nobody is coming to help, it's up to us.That was the mindset of New York s county leaders, who within a couple of hours of a declared state of emergency, became the onsite incident commanders charged with protecting the lives and the health of families, friends, neighbors, and residents through the deadliest public health crisis in a century.The COVID-19 pandemic took the life of over 50,000 New Yorkers in a year. These were their darkest hours, and here are their stories of leadership in the face of the chaotic and disjointed response from the state and federal government.Our Darkest Hours provides a glimpse into the fear, struggle, triumph, and pain as leaders worked to protect people s lives and livelihoods.