Please Support First Responders

Dear neighbors,

   I like to think I am someone that doesn’t ask for too much.  As a resident of the town for just over twelve years, I have done my share of volunteering as a coach on the baseball and soccer fields of Amherst or providing time to support my children through Amherst’s Cub Scout Pack 613.  In all of those situations, I was and am proud to be part of the Amherst Community.

   Five years ago, I decided to step it up a notch and become a member of the Amherst Fire Department.     Today, as a Lieutenant for the Amherst Fire Department, I could not be more excited to be part of this organization of dedicated volunteers trained and willing to run into situations when most want to run out.  But my membership did not come without a substantial and ongoing investment of time.  I completed the Department mandated State Firefighter I program in 2008/2009, a 200+ hour course designed to test your limits.  I followed that course in the fall of 2009 by completing the state’s Firefighter II (100 hours) program while commuting from work in Westborough, Massachusetts to Goffstown and Concord for class and practical sessions.  Since then, like many of my fellow volunteers, have participated in continuing education and leadership courses and have my commercial driver’s license. 

   It has all been worth it.  I am a proud member of one of the oldest fire companies in the country.  Beyond the training, I continue to devote time to the department by training new probationary members and participating in AFD events and fire prevention details.  The department’s newsletter (AFD Spirit) was started on my idea to provide information and photos to those folks that like to follow fire department.   For all this hard work, I get tremendous satisfaction of easing a resident’s concern when a smoke/carbon monoxide detector goes off at 2:00AM and I get out of bed to make a service call or when I am able to help a citizen on what could be arguably their worst day, a building fire or car accident.

  So while I think I am someone that tries not to ask for much, I am asking for your support of the Town Articles that support our emergency services, from the budget to the article for a new fire engine.  The town’s budget essentially only includes increases for EMS and Fire Department personnel to better compensate our largely volunteer members.  The replacement fire engine is so that we can retire Engine 2 and is long overdue.  We spend significant time and money keeping this truck in service and it is time for it to be retired.  As a water supply truck and first due to a motor vehicle call, we are placing a huge bet that the truck will be able to respond and provide the service we require.

   We all hope and pray that we don’t ever need Fire, EMS or Police to respond to our homes or to an accident and we are fortunate to have a great group of dedicated volunteers that will skip out of a family dinner to help us in our time of need.  I ask that your support these members by providing them with the best tools and financial support to do the best they can.  Please vote YES on Articles 22, 25 and 31.

Respectfully,

- Lt. Erik Swenson

  Amherst, NH