Thanks to the Milford Fire Department and EMS for getting us through Ida, and every other calamity

To the Editor:

When Ida blew through Milford and Pike County a couple of weeks ago, I was not overly concerned. We have been through the wind and the rain that hurricanes moving up the coast have brought in the past. We have leaned to dig in our heels and hope for the best, to be spared downed trees, downed power lines and the power outages that go along with them, and flooding from the torrential rains. Mostly, we are spared.

However, Ida was special. The amount of rain that was dumped if not a record, was certainly close to it. Many of us here in Pike suffered basement flooding; I did too, and my submersible pump was doing an admirable job pumping the water out — then the power went out; so did the pump. Hoping for the best, I went to bed.

At 10:30 p.m. I checked to see how bad things were in the cellar. Water was approaching 30 inches deep, water continued to squirt from the old stone walls, and the rain showed no sign of letting up.

At that point, I called Pike County Emergency. Within a short time men and equipment from the Milford Fire Department were at my door. Their generator and pump started the process of draining the water from the basement, and they informed me that another, larger pump was on the way. They were here until 2 a.m. doing what they do to keep us safe. They went about their business coolly, efficiently, and good-naturedly.

Beyond doing their professional best, however, they offered something else — calm reassurance that everything was going to be okay, and an exuberance at being able to be helpful. The Milford Fire Department and EMS — too often we take these men and women for granted. But they are there, and they are ready, and they are superior at what they do. Though I am making a contribution to the MFD, it seems insufficient to express my gratitude.

I recall that many years ago one of the MFD firefighters had a bumper sticker that read “I save lives for a living. What do you do?” Though my life was not in danger, these guys were lifesavers nonetheless.

The men and women of the MFD and EMS provide a valuable service; they are our friends and our neighbors, and they deserve our support, Perhaps you might consider making a contribution too. The next house they visit might be yours.

With much gratitude to the Milford Fire Department and EMS,

Jim Levell

Milford