An Abundance Of Respect For NFD Local 2509

To the editor: I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the men and women of the Nantucket Fire Department Local 2509.

Over the last year I have been honored to get to know some of them a little bit more and my respect for them has grown tenfold.

I had heard many stories at the end of my son Jamie’s shifts, about life in the firehouse, expectations about meals, chores that needed to be done, the willingness to answer questions and teach the new generation of firefighters, the camaraderie that makes their brotherhood so unique. Most importantly were the people they were, the love, compassion, empathy, and dedication to their job.

Sadly I saw the degree of dedication and love to do all they could do to try save someone’s life while keeping the empathy and compassion for all in the forefront. What I know is that they will always be there for me and my family.

When any of us require emergency care they are there, not only to do all they can to care for our loved ones but show family members the compassion they need. We have witnessed them even show these traits to baby ducklings.

They have worked in some of the hardest of circumstances to hold massive fires from spreading in the historic district, Dionis, and mid-Island.

They are there to bring joy to us with water fights on the Fourth of July, Halloween celebrations, and through their support of local youth sports programs. They also support programs that provide services to community members and local scholarship programs.

What we have in our fire department is extremely unique to most any other fire department. These men and women are our neighbors, coaches, coworkers (when not on shift), brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, grandchildren, grandparents, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters. They live and work in our community, and are truly invested in the well-being of our community.

I invite all who have had their lives touched in any way by these men and woman from the fire department to come support them this Sunday afternoon, August 3, at the Sandbar at Jetties Beach as we raise funds for Nantucket Firefighters 2509.

If you cannot join us I ask you to please consider donating through the GoFundMe at this link.

With a heart full of respect and love,

Dorothy Hertz