The Garrison Volunteer Fire Company is fragile. How’s that? Surely all firefighters are strong and the trucks are large and shiny! Firemen and women are tough on highway crashes and burning structures, but only human when disregarded.

Perhaps you have noticed that our culture is changing: more Garrison residents work in New York City, more young people move away, fewer people maintain their homes and property themselves, enjoying the use of tools and physical exercise. The result is fewer available members for the fire company.

Volunteers are the fire company, and the spirit is fragile. Who wants to work in an embattled atmosphere? Who wants to hear, “Of course you have my respect, but not my money!”? The unrelenting criticism and disrespect is discouraging volunteers and demoralizing leaders.

We all must turn out Dec. 13 to support the fire commissioners — Bohl, Brower, Fronio, Mercurio and Tudor — and vote yes for the reserves. Any less risks losing a vital part of our community.

Betsy Calhoun, Garrison

Behind The Story

Type: Opinion

Opinion: Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.

This piece is by a contributor to The Current who is not on staff. Typically this is because it is a letter to the editor or a guest column.

One reply on “Letter: Tough But Fragile”

  1. Thanks to Betsy Calhoun for her call to support the Garrison Volunteer Fire District and call to turn out for the vote on Dec. 13.

    The ranks of volunteers decline, gone are the days when scores of friars and seminarians turned out for house fires, brush fires and road emergencies. Be supportive and help our district, it’s all we have. (Still miss Col Belcher directing traffic.)

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