Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1954-08-26
The Letter Box

Editors note: The following
appreciation of the community
service rendered by volunteer
firemen was written by the wife
of one of them - Mrs. Vincent
Napoli of Gaithersburg. Because
it presents aspects of the work of
the fire volunteers that are too
often forgotten by the public,
THE SENTINEL is glad to pub
lish IT'D
What is Volunteer Fireman?
The dictionary defines the word
volunteer" as one who offers
himself TO RAINY service or under
taking. In the case of the fire
man, we should like to further
the explanation by adding that it
also means without compensa-
ton. 81
Let us examine the man who
becomes a volunteer fireman. In
order to do a good job at any
thing one must have a certain
amount of knowledge. This isn't
something that is pasted to a card
and handed out on alternate
Tuesdays. 1t is something that
men must study, observe, prac-
tice. Fire fighting is a science,
and as such demands a great deal
of knowledge in order to combat
it properly. This knowledge our
fireman must obtain on their own
time, at their own expense for
travelling to the place of instruc-
ton
Why does he do it? For the
thrill he gets from riding the
back step on a speeding red en-
CINE? Most of these men are
mature, intelligent men with
families, comfortable homes.
How would you like to be called
from your pipe and televisiOn
and easy chair on a storm win
ter night? Would you be
thrilled to ride with sleet in
your face and running down
your collar, holding your he'll.
met on with one hand (if you
are lucky enough to have One)
and keeping yourself on the
truck with the other? Take
about five miles of it, till you
reach a house blazing i'm spite
of chilling rain. There is a per-
son trapped in a rear bedroom,
the stairway gone i'm ames. Mr..
HOmeOwner has tears i'm his
eyes. Is he SO glad to see you,
or it is that he is missing his
favOrite sports announcer?
You set to work, using your
knowledge to start the big pumps,
get the flames down, rescue the
trapped person, put out the fire,
restore the hose and ladders. You
have one fireman injured. The
smoke was so dense he could not
see the bicycle left carelessly
near the rear door. That man
will walk with a limp for some
time.
There is a lot of work yet I'M
finished. The equipment must be
ready to roll again before you
can go back to your comfortable
chair. Somebody else may need
to call tonight. And if you are
still not tired, there are reports
that must be made while the
thing is fresh in your mind. Then
rest.
What kind of men leave their
homes, jobs, and recreation to
answer the call to fight an ene-
my? The same kind of men
who took up arms and fought
the aggressOrs i'm the Revolu-
tiOnary Wharf.-The same kind of
men who go every day to the
lab to find the cause of disease
and their cures. Your father,
brother, neighbOr or friend may
be one of these men who be.
lieve in serving their fellow
man.
In years to come, we may see
no more Volunteer Firemen.
There will be regular paid men,
trained perhaps as well or better.
They will be supported by taxa
ton. However, they will not
answer the call more Loyalty than
those men who come without
pay, without adequate equipment,
always with plenty of adverse
criticism-those men who smile
in the face of difficulties and
calmly do the best they can with
what they have.
These men will always be vol
unteers, in whatever they under
take. They give themselves. Can
you ask for NOR from any man?
Editor,
The widespread interest in Mrs.
Paul K. TerrelPs letter in connec-
,,,,4I. fIA eh