Letters

Leo, my dog, woke me up barking furiously, and when I looked out the window, all I could see was flames from the home of my neighbor and the blinking lights of fire trucks and emergency vehicles.

Thankfully, he and his partner and their dogs had escaped unharmed, and for that, I am enormously grateful. But their home was destroyed.

However, the fast actions of multiple firefighters and emergency responders prevented the fire from going into the nearby woods, spreading to the house next door and spreading to my property and home.

The next day was the Westhampton fire in the Pine Barrens, and the same fire personnel, volunteers and first responders were there again.

I was grateful — we were grateful — but let’s remember that it costs a lot to buy their equipment, receive their training, update their facilities. Let’s dig into our pockets and donate to those dedicated departments today.

I went to my local North Sea Department, as my donation was very, very overdue, and I suggest that others not wait until they see flames, as Leo and I did, to support these brave members of our community.

Thank you, first responders, every day.

Harriet L. Hellman

Water Mill