DEAR EDITOR:

With fatal fires, drug overdoses and train derailments in the headlines lately, it is clear why our emergency services are so important. Our community has many skilled teams that often are unnoticed and sometimes even called å. Dispatch, fire, police, EMS, HAZMAT, K-9 search and rescue, EMA, National Guard units, Red Cross and more are filled with dedicated members of our community willing to make a difference in times of need.

It is sad to say that all too often these organizations are understaffed and underfunded. They need training to stay sharp, vehicles and equipment in good condition and good pay to compensate for the risks they take when responding to dangerous and chaotic scenes and to help fill the rosters for the future.

As always, budgets are tight, and we certainly don’t live in a perfect world. But that is exactly why we need them, and now is a perfect time to take a good hard look at these organizations and make steps to prepare for next time. Because it’s not a matter of if, but when.

ANNETTE PROX

Cortland