Hats off to the firefighters who battled the remote Quonset hut fire in Newlin Township on Saturday evening. The metal outbuilding, which housed antique farm equipment, was located a mile off Brandywine Drive, up a steep gravel driveway -- which meant the firefighters had to lay a LOT of line to get water up to the scene.
A friend who was following along on the scanner in real time said the firefighters kept looking for more water, in addition to using the Brandywine Creek. (Memo to self: Download scanner app.)
I was at home at the time of the blaze and heard lots of sirens -- eventually five fire companies were summoned (Modena, West Bradford, Po-Mar-Lin, East Brandywine and Westwood), and Route 162 and Strasburg Road were temporarily closed. A friend who lives on top of a hill in Newlin reported she could see thick black smoke pouring from the scene.
I can't say enough about our volunteer firefighters. Once again, there they were when they were needed, doing really hard, hazardous, dirty and smelly work.
(What, you may ask, is a Quonset hut? It's a prefabricated building made of corrugated metal that was used to house military personnel, offices and equipment during World War II. There was one near our house when I was growing up in the 1960s, and I seem to recall a series of bohemian families occupying it.)
Yes, you can never go wrong praising firefighters. Thank goodness this is work that attracts volunteers! But to give free rein to one's contrarian tendencies: weren't they simply doing their jobs? Where is the praise for all the other volunteers who keep this country afloat? For the members of the community who raise thorny issues and risk their personal reputations for little or no personal gain? Facile praise for non-controversial public services is worthy but boring and, Ms Tally-Ho, your readers prefer your impertinent, tart commentary about unusual goings-on!
ReplyDelete"Impertinent" and "tart"? Oh, BT, you are my new best friend! I admit that I DO have a soft spot for firefighters. But if you want some of Tilda's juicier stuff, check out my updated "Results" item and "Clothes and the Man." Also, I'll be attending a gala this Friday, which should be good for some snark. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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