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A Hingham firefighter puts his life on the line to save man's best friend.

Hingham, Massachusetts:  February 7, 2009

“…Firefighters were called to World’s End, a park on Hingham Harbor, shortly after 9 a.m.  They found a black Labrador that had gone 300 feet out before falling through the ice.  Wearing cold water rescue suits, firefighters battled their way through ice and slush to reach the dog.  Two firefighters went out to the dog, while a third assisted them near shore, said Fire Captain Joseph Mortland.  … Fire officials said they perform such rescues so people will not endanger themselves by trying to save their pets. But the rescues are still hazardous…”     – The Boston Globe, at Boston.com

To put your life on the line to save a struggling animal is an honorable thing. This story is just one example of why cities and towns across the state should place every priority on funding fire departments to their fullest.  That rescue could have just as likely been someone’s child.

These men were well-trained and had the right gear (cold water rescue suits) to get the job done as safely as possible. All firefighters should have all of the proper equipment, training, and staffing that they need.   A real life rescue such as this can also be considered “on-the-job training”.  It is a shame that some people think that fire departments (as well as police and teachers) should be the first place to chop when considering budget cuts.

I would bet my last dollar that even if they did not have the right equipment, any firefighter would have attempted the rescue regardless, because it comes naturally to them, and as they themselves will tell you, “I’m just doing my job.” And sadly, not having that equipment could have cost them their lives.

I’m sure there will be nay-sayers who will rant on, saying “all that for a DOG?”  and “what a waste of money” etc., trying to incite an argument or put their narrow-minded opinions forth.  But I want them to think:  When your time comes (and in this crazy world we live in these days, the odds are it WILL come), when you need a firefighter to assist you or save someone or something you love dearly, you will thank god that those firemen had all the training and equipment they needed, and that they were THERE for you when you needed help most.

It is our responsibility to protect firefighters and provide for them as they protect us.

Imagine this ironic possibility:

A local citizen  lives in a modest home on a regular street in an average neighborhood.  He reads the story of the Hingham Harbor dog rescue with interest, because he sees this as an opportunity to exploit what he considers to be a perfect example of how he can “save his town” and reduce spending.  This citizen becomes instrumental in convincing his townspeople and neighbors NOT to vote for a Proposition 2 1/2 override, saying “we can cut out much of the ‘unnecessary’ monies going to the fire department.”   He then used the story of the dog’s rescue as an example of “wasting money” and how “silly and useless” it was for a town’s resources to have been spent in such a way.  After all, it was “just a dog.”

It is late in the evening, next summer.  That citizen is home by himself having a couple of drinks while watching a late-night movie before going to bed.  He turns off his HDTV and heads upstairs to his comfortable and well-appointed bedroom for some much-needed sleep.  A few hours later, he is roused from his sleep by the incessant barking of his neighbor’s dog.  He says to himself, “SEE?  Why the hell would anyone waste all that money and manpower to save a damned dog… like this one who is right under my window in the middle of the night, barking and scratching and being a pain in the ass… waking me up from a perfectly good sleep!  I’m going next door right now and give that neighbor an earful of shit.  It’s three o’clock in the morning, for chrissake!”

And as Mr. Citizen opens his bedroom door, he sees the blazing orange glow of his living room on fire.  He feels the intense heat.  He begins to choke on the thick black smoke that is engulfing his home.  And as he drops to his knees gasping for oxygen, his heart racing in panic, he continues to hear the neighbor’s barking dog, who is still outside barking and scratching at his door in that natural, undiscriminating protectiveness of Man’s Best Friend.   The man gropes for his cell phone and blindly dials 9-1-1.  He feels the raging fire’s incredible heat on the back of his neck as he throws open his bedroom window and wonders if he should jump.

But the fire department arrives.  In seconds, the first men on the scene assess the situation:  The man on the Engine lays down a length of hose and opens a hydrant.  His rider grabs the nozzle and instantly begins to knock down the heat and flames.  The driver of the Ladder truck positions his vehicle just right, and puts the gears in motion to extend the ladder, while his partner climbs toward the burning and panicking citizen at the window.   The Fire Captain on the ground,  conducting the symphony of the rescue, uses all of his training to properly direct every movement of his men… without a shred of contempt or a moment of suspicion in considering whose life they are about to save.

And the waiting paramedics in the ambulance do all they can to quickly prepare their gear and supplies, so that they may be ready in a split second to administer the necessary first aid to the man they know is going to be pulled from harm’s way and delivered to them safely.

The ambulance pulls away, headed to the hospital with the man inside.   His home has not been destroyed.  After all, he has insurance, and he is happy to be alive.  Panic and shock still show in his eyes, and he is afraid he might be having a heart attack.  The  attending paramedic runs an IV and looks at the citizen.  He wipes a cold compress over the man’s heated skin and encourages him, “Don’t worry, you’re going to make it, Buddy.  Hang in there. I’m right here with you.”

The rest of the firefighters continue their job at the scene, cooling the embers, checking for hotspots, cleaning debris, and surveying the home they saved from complete destruction. The firefighter who climbed the ladder cools the minor first degree burns on his ears with the spray from a leak in a length of hose.

The beautiful dog who instinctively barked his life-saving alarm trots happily over the scattered hoses and growing puddles.  One of the firefighters removes his heavy turnout coat.  He pulls his helmet and Nomex hood from his head and wipes his sooty brow with the back of his forearm.  He sees the dog approaching, and stoops to scratch behind the ears of the friendly pup.  The man and animal look into each other’s eyes and there is an understanding between them:   They have done something good tonight.  They understand each other well, because goodness and decency are recognizable qualities.  And, because this man and this dog have met before… last winter on the slushy frozen bay of Hingham Harbor.

Mr. Citizen will live to vote another day.