Focus Newsletter from the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce

The Volunteer Firefighter's Benefit Law is prefaced by the statement: "One of the finest traditions of American community life is the service which people render to others without remuneration."
Here in the Town of West Seneca, our residents are served 24/7 by the men and women in our five volunteer fire companies. These volunteer firefighters work, raise families and count pennies just like you and me. Then, they get up in the middle of the night or step away from their jobs to run into a burning building or provide assistance in a medical emergency.
Because of my duties as town clerk, I interact routinely with the fire companies in town and over time have become familiar with their professional services.
On a personal level, my own appreciation of volunteer firefighting dates back much further to my childhood when my father was a charter member of South Line Fire Company on French Road. With our house directly across the creek from the original fire house, there was no chance of any of us avoiding the shrill sound of the siren. My father was a simple man with a farm to run, but when that siren went off, he answered the call, as did the other men on the road.
The original fire hall long ago moved to its modern location farther down the road. Subdivisions and condos have replaced the rural nature of French Road. Our modest house and the creek it bordered are long gone. My father is gone too, but my pride in his service to the community remains.
For firefighters, serving the community is a matter of civic pride. They influence outcomes that directly affect people's lives by responding at a moment's notice, whether it's day or night, to put that fire out, to rescue that person in harm's way, or sometimes just volunteering their time to fundraise for a cause outside the confines of the firehouse.
It is sad to say, but the average person in the community often fails to value the worth of a volunteer firefighter until the need arises.
Today's firefighters not only need to be trained in dealing with burning buildings, but many have EMT or paramedic certification
Just recently, a turn in events in my husband's medical condition again brought the need for our volunteer firefighters to the front burner for me.
East Seneca Fire Company and Union Fire Company responded on two separate occasions when immediate medical assistance was needed and I will always be grateful for their quick response and expertise in handling his medical emergency.
As our community's needs grow, so does the workload for our local volunteer fire companies.
With that in mind, remember that June is the traditional month for your local fire company's Fund Drive. Be as generous as you can and hope you never have need for their services.
Take time also to visit the Firemen's Memorial Exhibit Center at 4141 Seneca Street. There you will find "a priceless collection of memorabilia and equipment used from the days of the bucket brigades to the motorized vehicles of the present day."
And if you have need of the services of the Town Clerk's office, we are here to serve you Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and every Wednesday evening until 7:00 p.m. I can be reached by phone at 558-3215, by email at pdepasqu@twsny.org, or on line at www.westseneca.net.