This is in response to the letter to the editor dated Wednesday, December 30, 2009 authored by Mr. Walter W. Henry of Oregon and titled "Risking Lives Means Losing Lives." I am a 28 year fire service veteran. I serve both as a career firefighter (17+ years) and as a volunteer in a local combination department (19+ years). I have been a fire service instructor since 2000. I take great exception to Mr. Henry's article on numerous levels, as well, I take exception to the title of the original article (which I believe may have fueled Mr. Henry's letter). First of all, as to the original articles front page banner "Firemen risk lives to save retriever." I believe this banner was over stated. I do not know, but believe this choice of wording was probably either born out of the reporters emotion showing through or simple media sensationalism.
First of all, I believe a much better, less dramatic banner could have/should have been utilized for this story, one like "Firefighters rescue stranded dog." None the less, the banner is what it is, so on to Mr. Henry's comments. I will preface my response by saying I mean no disrespect to Mr. Henry. I hope I am simply misunderstanding his views, however, as stated (and interpreted by this firefighter)I am very upset with most all of Mr. Henry's comments. As to Mr. Henry's first comment "I can't find any action where firemen risk their lives", are you kidding me? Firefighters lives are at risk EVERYTIME we show up for duty. I urge everyone to visit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation website or the United States Fire Administration website and review the countless ways firefighters die IN THE LINE OF DUTY each year, and at the rate, on average, of 100+ per year.
As to his next comments with regard to the boat, two men in wet suits, their training, and his feeling that it wouldn't be necessary to have two men in the water...I can only say that Mr. Henry simply has no idea what is required of such a situation. There are training standards, rules, regulations, policies and sometimes laws set forth by NATIONAL Fire Service organizations that dictate how firefighters will operate in every scenario. I am quite certain that the firefighters involved in this particular incident were well trained and practiced, and I am equally certain that any risk to them was well managed.
On to Mr. Henry's next (and most outrageous comment) "If firemen really did risk their lives to save a dog, like the two banners say they did, they should be fired."...again, all I can say is "ARE YOU KIDDING ME????" Again, the fire service is an inherently dangerous profession (I refer you again to the websites provided earlier in this letter). To do as Mr. Henry suggests, there would be NO firefighters in this country because, again, we risk our lives just by showing up for duty, therefore, all firefighters would have to be fired.
But let me share with you another, PROFESSIONAL, EXPERIENCED point of view with regard to this, and other rescue scenarios. First of all, there is a thing in the fire service called "duty to act" which requires firefighters to respond to ALL calls for help. In doing so, I assure you all of the NATIONAL STANDARDS on how to act are utilized to the best of our ability which is all aimed at FIREFIGHTER SAFETY. As far as this particular type rescue is concerned, they occur many, many times in this country each year, and in some cases, to a much larger extent as recently seen on the national media channels in California, where even a helicopter was utilized to rescue a dog. You see, firefighters are sworn to protect life (ALL LIFE) and property. In the instances where it is a wild animal (or pet) we make the rescue realizing that, by doing so, in a CAREFUL, CALCULATED, ORGANIZED, TRAINED MANNER, we are often times preventing an UNTRAINED, UNPREPARED, EMOTIONALLY DISTRAUGHT pet owner (sometimes a child) or animal lover from risking their life to save the animal, which has happened many times over the years resulting in the injury and SOMETIMES DEATH OF THAT HUMAN BEING. I hope, with this letter, to have accomplished my goal of one, rebutting a point of view I disagree with, and two, providing one fire service professionals point of view to give readers another perspective on this issue and on that of the FIREFIGHTERS WHO SERVE EVERYWHERE, EVERY DAY TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES. Respectfully Submitted, Mike Benadum