I consider myself a proud, active American and proud to be a member of the Dixfield Fire Company. This letter is in response to accusations made by Dwight Hines in a recent Sun Journal article (Aug. 14).

Hines made a very bold and derogatory statement about the Dixfield Fire Company: “… right now I don’t think these guys have good enough records to know what they are doing. I think it is a lot of laziness.”

I invite Hines to join my fellow firefighters and me in our efforts to keep ourselves trained and ready to act at a moment’s notice, day or night, rain or shine; and to keep our equipment ready for action; and to comply with the ever-increasing demands of government to keep us in compliance so we can serve our community. All that while working around our regular jobs (in some cases, two or three jobs), to provide for our families.

Hines should realize that our first priority is to protect the lives and property of our citizens, not to waste our time compiling records for him simply (and ridiculously) because the law allows him to request them — with no purpose for them.

I would surmise that Hines would be at the forefront of protesters if a home were lost to fire because fire apparatus was not properly maintained (because time was wasted gathering information to comply with a nuisance records request).

Barry Prescott, Dixfield