I would like to thank Bill Manning for having the courage to speak up for the real firefighters who are wasting away at the hands of the safety patrol. I`ve been a career firefighter for 12 years and a volunteer five years before that. I think back to some of the stupid things the fire service did not do long ago as far as safety, and I thank God that I`m still alive. However, the way those stuffed suits are trying to turn the fire service into an OSHA convention makes me sick. I am all for safe practices on the fireground, but it`s a fire, for God`s sake, not a church social. The day that a radio and a clipboard replace a good man or woman with a hoseline and a bar is the day I retire. And the way things are going, that won`t be that many years away. It`s nice to know there are some real firefighters left who still believe in honor, courage, and heroism.
Sam Cappetta, Jr.
Prince George`s County (MD) Fire Department
