I have asked myself this question for the last 20 years. Why would someone get out of their nice warm bed at 3 a.m. on a cold winter morning to help someone they don't even know? Why would someone run into a burning building and risk their own life under the assumption there may be someone in there. Well, I asked myself this question 890 times this year. Why 890, because that's how many alarms the Farmingdale Fire Department responded to so far this year, 890 that's an average of two to three alarms a day. The average person only works about 240 days a year and they get a paycheck. So why do they do it? I still ask. Well I can tell you this: it's not for the beer, there's not enough beer in the world that can get me up at three in the morning on a cold winter night to await LIPA for two hours for a downed power line. Besides that's such a stereotypical quote "they only volunteer for the beer." It's so 1980s. Hey, this is 2005. We have Atkins to follow.

But these men and women of the Farmingdale Fire Department still responded 890 times this year to be exact. Why? Is there an answer?

Well since 1932 this village has been protected by the members of the Farmingdale Fire Department fighting fires such as Macros Lumber, Stern Pickle Factory, Wagner's Feed and Seed, the World Trade Center attack where they spent three days helping dig through rubble, and the most recent Beauty Box Fire, just to name a few. They have responded to almost every type of medical emergency from assisting someone who fell out of bed, to extricating a young victim from a bad car wreck; they have left their families during Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, missed many hot meals, and have taken time away from their kids to help the residents of Farmingdale but they still seem to keep doing it. Why?

They train an average of 24 hours a week; that is 288 hours a year and that doesn't include all the specialty training they many members go for. Why? There's no bonus in their paycheck. Oh wait, there is no paycheck. So again I ask why? They have made Farmingdale shine by volunteering their firefighting, EMT paramedics skills. They assisted in the US Open and Walks for Life and raised over $12,500 for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and that's just to mention a few.

Is it pride, dedication, devotion, commitment, loyalty, tradition or is it the feeling of just helping out your neighbor? It could be one or all of these things. I am sure each one of these fine men and women have their own personal reason why they do it, why 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year they serve the residents of Farmingdale. Whatever the reason we should be proud that we have one of the finest well-trained fire departments on Long Island. So I think I found my answer to this age-old question after 20 years of service and having conversations with members who have 40 plus years in the fire department. There can be only one reason why they do it and that's because - hey, there goes my pager - go to got - see what I mean?

John Salerno

Chief, Farmingdale Fire Department