Letter to the editor: Fire department woes

In response to the unprincipled and disrespectful statements made by Hempfield supervisors and the Hempfield Fire Department chief in the article ”Hempfield officials working to improve response of West Point’s volunteer firefighters” (Nov. 4, TribLIVE): Nice attempt by them to look good in the community.

We volunteers are told to keep quiet in the media, but yet the “leaders” can devalue the wholehearted volunteers in the fire service. Typical political unethical behavior.

You know what a disgrace is in our community? When you use my family’s tragedy of a total loss house fire as part of your own political agenda, and most definitely without their permission, as your story line.

Why didn’t you talk about the overall response time, the two phone calls to 911, that no Hempfield departments were first, nor second, on the scene? Or why didn’t you even talk about your lack of support to a struggling department in West Point? Those who cast stones of dysfunction should starting looking in a mirror within the township office.

I take this article very personally. My family and I dedicate our lives as volunteers in our community, and I won’t stand for you attacking the dedicated volunteers. In my opinion, clearly the problem is not within this department; it is with the debilitated leadership in this township.

Helen Webb Mucci

Hempfield