Letter to the editor: Community should support fire department, first responders
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We recently learned that Chief Quin and the volunteer fire department that faithfully serves our community retired the use of the Sewickley fire horn. We write representing many community members who would like to acknowledge that this decision was unlikely to have been easy, given the history and tradition that accompanies the fire horn. We are grateful to our borough council for considering this matter and wish to publicly thank Chief Quin for his leadership in making this decision.
We are aware that the technology that enables our volunteer fire fighters to be quickly notified of an emergency call is now state-of-the-art. Having outlived its primary function, the fire horn was a reminder of the dedication of our volunteers, testifying to both the frequency and regularity of the need for emergency assistance in our community. Our own families, friends and neighbors have been repeatedly helped by the excellent and timely emergency services of our borough over decades.
This continued level of excellence is dependent not only on the quality and readiness of our emergency teams, but also on wide and deep community support. Small community volunteer fire departments are increasingly rare. Recruitment and retention of fire fighters can become tenuous. We hope that as we move into the future, our community will rally around our fire department and other emergency personnel, supporting their presence in our neighborhood with our heightened awareness, our spoken gratitude, our volunteer hours, and our financial support.
Rick Saladino and Geoff Chapman
Sewickley