A few weeks ago I was watching News 12 on a Friday evening and I saw Hicksville Fire Department Station 2. As I listened to comments by neighbors, I thought I have to write a letter and I didn't until, of course, I read one in the Hicksville Illustrated on June 6.

My son is a Hicksville volunteer fireman and has been for almost 10 years. Whenever anyone in Hicksville needs help, all the volunteers' pagers go off in their homes at all hours, day and night. We have been awakened up too many times to count. Each time, I say a prayer for the community person who needs help and for the firemen who leave the warmth and safety of their homes in all kinds of weather. I pray they are all safe, that they get there on time to save a home or, even more important, a life. I hear my house door slam shut, his car door, too, when they are on the run. They don't take extra time to close doors quietly. I am sure my neighbors hear them, but they have never complained because they know this is necessary. Just imagine what our taxes would be without these volunteers.

The letter in the [last week's] paper states that the person has lived there 30 years. Well, almost everyone has upgraded and expanded their homes in Hicksville. Many homes are multi-family dwellings and, therefore, we need to expand the firehouse in order to keep up. Whomever their "proverbial grapevine" is, should have told them there is only one fire truck and one ambulance housed at Station 2. The meeting room is so crowded that the firemen stand shoulder-to-shoulder in order to discuss how best to take care of Hicksville. The four firehouses now cover all of Hicksville. There is no part that doesn't have coverage. No one seems to mind that when there is bad weather - snow, hurricane, etc., they are called to standby. They leave their homes to sleep in chairs, couches, etc., so they will be able to take care of Hicksville.

When my son first told us he wanted to do this, I had very mixed feelings. I was concerned for his safety, but I was so very proud of him, as I always was of all the Hicksville firemen. Unless you live with one, you can't even imagine what they do, including the trainings, meetings, dinners left cold - daily and holidays. Yes, these volunteers chose this and the people who bought houses surrounding the firehouses chose to live there. They must expand to help meet the growing needs of our community, not just for fun, but for safety - theirs and ours.

Again, I am very proud of my son and of all the volunteer firemen and thank them for their true dedication to our community.

JoElena Ocuto