Letter: Why I Became A Fireman

Dear Neighbor:

What do the following people have in common?

• A 12-year-old girl who broke her leg while skating on a backyard pond.
• A family of five – a husband and wife and their three sons – who lost their home in a tragic fire.
• A 30-year-old man struggling with heroin addiction.
• An 82-year-old man, confined to his bed and suffering with dementia.

The answer: When these people needed help the most and their lives, health, and/or homes were at risk, they all received support from other neighbors, potentially like you, who serve as volunteer firefighters and EMTs at the Armonk Fire Department.

*** I’d lived in Armonk for 14 years and never thought much about the fire department. For me, the fire department was simply an especially nice, seemingly oversized building across from Nick’s/The Dairy Mart.

The fire department was filled with strangers – people I’d never met before – who responded to emergencies. None of my friends were members of the fire department. But, after getting my EMT license and joining the fire department, I learned that: The department’s members reflect the diversity of our town: women and men; senior citizens and high school students; Christians, Jews, and Muslims; shopkeepers, consultants, contractors, and bankers. The department is a place where I could:

• Actually perform, not just contribute to, community service.
• Really make a difference in people’s lives.
• Develop meaningful relationships with other people who live in Armonk.

If these things are important to you – community service, making a difference, and building connections, then you owe it to yourself to learn more about the fire department.

To help with that, the department’s members are hosting two open houses: Tuesday evening Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. and  Saturday morning Jan. 10 at 10 a.m.

We’d like you to stop by. We’d like to meet you. We’d like to answer your questions. We’d like you to join us so that, together, we can make a difference in our Town. Your Neighbor, Adam Barnett

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