I certainly want a firehouse that is prepared for growth
letter to the editor
To the Editor:
I will be voting “yes” for our new firehouse
In response to the letter published in the April 8 edition of The Post, the letter writer fails to see the need for a new fire station, I will have to respectfully disagree with her on this issue. This past weekend, the Westfield Fire Department hosted an open house that I hope the writer attended because she would have seen, first-hand, why a new fire station is needed. As I walked through the open house I noticed that the current quarters were very cramped and there was not even enough room for all the equipment they have. It was hard to even fathom how the fire department could operate in a location that is so small.
As Westfield Center and Westfield Township continue to grow, our fire department has not grown with it. The letter writer cited that she can’t understand the need for a new station to have sleeping quarters, a workout room, a lounge, a training area or a triage room. As someone with a past in public safety, I can tell you that these requests are pretty standard when it comes to a firehouse, regardless of the firefighters being full-time or volunteers. I would rather have a firehouse built to accommodate the future growth of the area as opposed to building a firehouse that will not service the needs of the residents in five years. The writer cited it would be more feasible to land upgrades at the Buffam Road location to accommodate the new firehouse. Although this sounds great on paper to upgrade an existing site, i.e. driveways, septic systems, etc., it just does not make sense financially and the location is not centrally located in the fire department’s service area.
I truly believe that our elected officials (in Westfield Center and Westfield Township) have given this much thought and I truly believe that they are acting responsibly and with the community’s best interest in mind with this decision to build a firehouse in the proposed location. It sounds as if the writer has a case of “not in my backyard” syndrome as they refer to the new station lacking certain architectural designs and lacking a colonial feel. As a resident, I want a firehouse that is prepared for future growth, I want our first responders to be trained well and to man the firehouse in case of inclement weather or an emergency so that they can better serve the residents and to provide a sense of safety in the community.
Nicholas Damato
Westfield Center
I will be voting “yes” for our new firehouse
In response to the letter published in the April 8 edition of The Post, the letter writer fails to see the need for a new fire station, I will have to respectfully disagree with her on this issue. This past weekend, the Westfield Fire Department hosted an open house that I hope the writer attended because she would have seen, first-hand, why a new fire station is needed. As I walked through the open house I noticed that the current quarters were very cramped and there was not even enough room for all the equipment they have. It was hard to even fathom how the fire department could operate in a location that is so small.
As Westfield Center and Westfield Township continue to grow, our fire department has not grown with it. The letter writer cited that she can’t understand the need for a new station to have sleeping quarters, a workout room, a lounge, a training area or a triage room. As someone with a past in public safety, I can tell you that these requests are pretty standard when it comes to a firehouse, regardless of the firefighters being full-time or volunteers. I would rather have a firehouse built to accommodate the future growth of the area as opposed to building a firehouse that will not service the needs of the residents in five years. The writer cited it would be more feasible to land upgrades at the Buffam Road location to accommodate the new firehouse. Although this sounds great on paper to upgrade an existing site, i.e. driveways, septic systems, etc., it just does not make sense financially and the location is not centrally located in the fire department’s service area.
I truly believe that our elected officials (in Westfield Center and Westfield Township) have given this much thought and I truly believe that they are acting responsibly and with the community’s best interest in mind with this decision to build a firehouse in the proposed location. It sounds as if the writer has a case of “not in my backyard” syndrome as they refer to the new station lacking certain architectural designs and lacking a colonial feel. As a resident, I want a firehouse that is prepared for future growth, I want our first responders to be trained well and to man the firehouse in case of inclement weather or an emergency so that they can better serve the residents and to provide a sense of safety in the community.
Nicholas Damato
Westfield Center
