By LAUREN YATES Staff Writer LAKE PLACID — Longtime Lake Placid Police Chief Bill Moore’s last day with the department was Thursday, but he didn’t spend it at the station. He was at home, in isolation with COVID-19. Moore’s retirement from the Lake Placid Police Department was made public earlier this month. He spent nearly 32 years with the department, and his fellow officers didn’t let his isolation get in the way of a celebration. The Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department parking lot was full of emergency service vehicles on Thursday afternoon as village employees gathered at the fire station before making their way to Moore’s house in Lake Placid for a surprise drive-by parade. With emergency lights flashing and horns tooting, a cavalcade of vehicles from New York State Police, the village ambulance squad, the electric department, fire department and police department rolled up to park in front of Moore’s house. Moore came outside with his family and dogs, and they stood in their driveway as a few dozen village employees, including Mayor Art Devlin and Assistant Police Chief Chuck Dobson, piled out of the vehicles. “We weren’t going to let you get away that easy,” Devlin said to Moore. Dobson thanked Moore for his service with the department, and everyone burst into applause. “I wish I felt better,” Moore said from his driveway. He said this wasn’t how he wanted to spend his last day, but he thanked everyone for showing their support. Devlin told Moore they’d let him get back to his chicken noodle soup, and the parade was gone as suddenly as it had arrived. Moore said later that he didn’t expect the event. “My daughter told me something was wrong with her car so I went outside to look, and next thing I heard was horns and stuff,” he said. Apparently, Moore’s family was in on the surprise. He said the experience was “definitely surprising and shocking, a little bit emotional.” “You know, you do a job for that long, I think that you make close friends for sure,” he added. He said he was overwhelmed by the display of support from the village. “There’s a deep respect for Bill in the village,” Devlin said later. “It’s nice, all the people that turned out.” Moore said that the police department plans to have a party to celebrate his retirement once the pandemic dies down a bit.

LAKE PLACID — Longtime Lake Placid Police Chief Bill Moore’s last day with the department was Thursday, but he didn’t spend it at the station. He was at home, in isolation with COVID-19.

Moore’s retirement from the Lake Placid Police Department was made public earlier this month. He spent nearly 32 years with the department, and his fellow officers didn’t let his isolation get in the way of a celebration.

The Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department parking lot was full of emergency service vehicles on Thursday afternoon as village employees gathered at the fire station before making their way to Moore’s house in Lake Placid for a surprise drive-by parade.

With emergency lights flashing and horns tooting, a cavalcade of vehicles from New York State Police, the village ambulance squad, the electric department, fire department and police department rolled up to park in front of Moore’s house. Moore came outside with his family and dogs, and they stood in their driveway as a few dozen village employees, including Mayor Art Devlin and Assistant Police Chief Chuck Dobson, piled out of the vehicles.

“We weren’t going to let you get away that easy,” Devlin said to Moore.

Dobson thanked Moore for his service with the department, and everyone burst into applause.

“I wish I felt better,” Moore said from his driveway. He said this wasn’t how he wanted to spend his last day, but he thanked everyone for showing their support.

Devlin told Moore they’d let him get back to his chicken noodle soup, and the parade was gone as suddenly as it had arrived.

Moore said later that he didn’t expect the event.

“My daughter told me something was wrong with her car so I went outside to look, and next thing I heard was horns and stuff,” he said.

Apparently, Moore’s family was in on the surprise. He said the experience was “definitely surprising and shocking, a little bit emotional.”

“You know, you do a job for that long, I think that you make close friends for sure,” he added.

He said he was overwhelmed by the display of support from the village.

“There’s a deep respect for Bill in the village,” Devlin said later. “It’s nice, all the people that turned out.”

Moore said that the police department plans to have a party to celebrate his retirement once the pandemic dies down a bit.