Amherst gets professional service from volunteers
Bee Editorial
Reminders of just how dangerous the job of firefighters has become was right at the doorstep of Amherst residents last week, as two restaurants sustained heavy damage in less than 24 hours.

Each fire presented its own unique set of hazards to the men and women who responded. The call at McDonald's on Sheridan Drive involved a dark basement packed to the ceiling with combustibles and cardboard boxes. The door at the rear of the restaurant was the firefighters' only way in - and only way out. Masonry walls held in the heat, making ventilation difficult and subjecting the firefighters to extreme conditions within a confined space.

Once the flames were extinguished, the arduous task of pulling the debris out of the basement began. It was a difficult assignment for volunteers of any age and ability, but part of the job that could not be left undone.

Finally, the equipment used in the fire - including hoses, axes, exhaust fans and ladders - had to be cleaned and made ready for the next emergency.

No one could have known that next emergency would come just a few hours later and less than two miles away at Chang's Garden Restaurant on Maple Road. Many of the same firefighters from Williamsville and Snyder who worked at the McDonald's blaze, were back at it assisting Getzville at the second fire.

While there were no hazards in a basement at this fire, the real peril was up above, as flames crawled their way across the roof's frame, weakening its support system. The fire shot out from a dormer on the west side of the building, causing it to cave in over the kitchen - the firefighters' primary objective.

Horror stories of firefighters trapped under collapsed roofs and disoriented by entangling debris had to be on the mind of those commanding the effort as they altered their tactics. This fire would now be fought from the safety of above as ladder trucks rained water on the ruins. Again came the process of salvaging the contents of another popular business, saving what could be reached in time. As dawn broke, the extent of the damage became more clear.

While the focus has rightfully shifted to insurance adjusters and cleanup crews, stop and consider the firefighters. There was no paycheck waiting for them when they headed home and no reward except personal satisfaction.

The Amherst community should acknowledge the professional level of service afforded residents and business owners through the 10 volunteer fire companies which respond every day without question to our call.