I read a Sept. 9 article titled, “Are We Safer? The article was about how Maine spent millions on disaster equipment, and we don’t know if it’s going to make any difference or not.

The newspaper interviewed Maine Emergency Management Agency Grant Coordinator Bruce Fitzgerald. Major General Bill Libby, the commissioner of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. Among the new equipment was a communications tower, a bomb-disabling robot, and many flashlights and radios.

I totally side with the article on this matter. In my opinion, those hundreds of flashlights are not going to help us any more than pieces of candy against terrorists. MEMA is allowing grants to go to equipment that will barely help us, and they are denying grants for cruisers, fire trucks, ammunition, weapons and more officers. The equipment that is being denied would be far more helpful against terrorists than 30 portable radios.

I think that MEMA should allow grants that they are denying. This way, we are more prepared for a terrorist attack. If we do this, there will be lower death toll, and less money has to be spent on repairing costs. If it means less money spent on repairs, and less deaths, isn’t it worth it?

Sam Hatch