This past Wednesday, Dec. 14, I had the pleasure of joining the members of the Middlebury Fire Department at their December monthly meeting. It is a particularly enjoyable occasion because it gives me an opportunity to share some time with our firefighters as they break from their constant, ongoing training regimen for a holiday season celebration of camaraderie. It was a fine evening and then the alarm sounded for reports of smoke at a Murdock Court residence. In less than one minute the celebration ceased and the fire trucks were rolling to the call of duty, and the severe fire conditions that awaited them.
At the fire scene I observed the high level of professionalism that our firefighters demonstrate as they worked with all of their skills and capabilities to remedy a terrible condition. They overcame tremendous heat and smoke as they fought to extinguish the intense flames that lit the night sky. I also observed the cooperative and helpful efforts from the Middlebury Police Officers who arrived simultaneously, and the Middlebury Emergency Medical Technicians and Weybridge and New Haven fire fighters that soon followed to assist.
Unfortunately I then saw the pain on many of their faces as they realized that even with all of their proficiencies and expertise, this fire was too severe for them to completely change the outcome.
In Middlebury we are extremely fortunate to have these highly professional emergency responders. The expertise that they demonstrate is result of countless hours of training and preparation for a wide array of possible scenarios. They are the best and deserve our thanks for the dedication that they provide each day, always ready to respond at a moments notice to help when trouble occurs.
When you see a firefighter or police officer or emergency medical technician, be sure to stop and thank them for their service to our community. I find that they don’t expect this gratitude, but they deserve it.
Nick Artim
Middlebury