Dear Editor:
On March 21, 2010, the apartment house in which I live caught fire. By the time we realized what was going on, the smoke in the hallway had become too dense and my roommates and I had to leave our fourth-floor apartment via the fire escape. I’ve never had to use a fire escape before and I hope to never repeat the experience. Nobody was hurt in the fire. All of us living in the building, including beloved pets, made it out safely. My belongings are smoky and some are a little sooty, but I didn’t even lose any property. We are very lucky. But luck is only part of the story. Please allow me to take a moment to extend a sincere, enormous “Thank you” to the Jersey City Fire Department, who were on the scene in rapid time. They were able to contain and extinguish the fire, and while of course that’s their job, I still feel it’s crucial to thank my local firefighters. These folks put on heavy gear and enter burning buildings. Who among us would want to do that for a living? I’m certainly not brave enough. I want to specifically thank Firefighter O’Connor. Throughout the afternoon, as my roommates and neighbors and I were watching smoke pour out of our windows, not knowing what was next, Mr. O’Connor made sure to repeatedly speak with us and tell us exactly what was happening in our home and what we could expect in the coming hours. It wasn’t so much what he said but how he said it: in a calming, respectful, compassionate tone of voice. In a chaotic, scary time, that simple action means a lot. Thank you, Firefighter O’Connor. And thank you, Jersey City Fire Department, for saving our home.
Sincerely,
Wendy M. Levy