Edward Greenblat, Princeton Twp. fire commissioner
It is my understanding that at a recent fire the resident was less than forthcoming and indeed was obstructive in the matter of cats he was housing.
Upon learning that there were a number of cats in the house, the firefighters’ reaction was to rescue them. The resident advised them that they were “frisky,” not disclosing that they had been feral. Asked about rabies shots, the firefighters were told that they were current, which later turned out to be not the case. The firefighters were bitten, one quite seriously. Upon getting back the cats, the resident did not sequester them for rabies testing, but removed them from the Princeton Animal Control Officer’s jurisdiction. This resulted in the firefighters having to endure painful rabies shots. One was hospitalized as a result of a reaction to the shots.
Princeton is served by a volunteer fire company, which, established in 1788, may well be the oldest continuously operating one in the country. The firefighters are on call 24/7, and accept the risks that they may encounter as their duty to the community. The incident cited above is an egregious blow to their safety and, perhaps, morale. Certainly, the “Golden Rule” applies here. Would any of us, as volunteers, want this to happen to us? Either through ignorance, or even worse, possibly intentionally, a resident subjected our volunteer firefighters to unnecessary risk and painful medical procedures, as they worked to save his property and his pets.
The action that a municipality can take against an individual who creates this kind of hazardous situation for the firefighters who are trying to save his property is limited. However, if there is a lesson to be learned from this incident, it is that all of us as private citizens must make certain that in a fire emergency we do not create additional hazards for the volunteers working on our behalf. Our volunteer firefighters take an oath to preserve life of all forms. They put their lives at risk to save our lives and property. They deserve our thanks and full cooperation, and should not be subjected to risks caused by the thoughtless acts of others.
Edward J. Greenblat,
Fire Commissioner
Princeton Township
