Dear Editor,

I am responding to a news story of January 1 about the trailer fire saved by the East Grayson County Fire Department.

In regards to the story that the trailer fire was allegedly saved on Hardin Springs Road, Jan. 1, I would like to make the following observations.

First, I was home visiting with parents over the holidays. For 20 years my father has served with East Grayson County Fire Department and it is where I first started in the volunteer fire service too.

We listened as they were paged and continued to listen until Clarkson arrived on the scene.

The next day we were traveling out the road and saw the allegedly "saved" structure.

You could see the gutted structure in the middle and fire damage was clearly visible from one end of the home to the other.

It was blackened in many places. Yes, a structure still stands, but for insurance purposes and for rebuilding I assure you it looks like a total loss.

Where I serve now, we have equipment 10 times better than either Clarkson or East Grayson County. We have two $150,000+ rescue trucks and equipment that is always kept in good working order.

We have 65 certified fire fighters for a town no bigger than Clarkson and yet we have walked away from structures that were fully involved, put out and there was still a shell standing. It was not a livable structure anymore and I think that would not be a "save."

The article ended with the statement that since this structure was saved, which is debatable at best, this was "a turning point" for the East Grayson County Fire Department.

The "turning point" was last September when an angry mob of so called "concerned citizens" forced the resignation of a handful of fire fighters who knew their jobs and did them well!

Who knows? Maybe it is a turning point. The point of no return for a once good and noble cause that now is headed down the drain!

Sincerely,

Jim Pence

Rt. 1 Box 121-A

Dagsboro, DE 19939