Last year, the 100 or so members of the Plainview Old Bethpage Fire Department dropped whatever they were doing to help those of us who live in the Plainview Old Bethpage community nearly 2,000 times. We may have been ill, sensed fire in our homes, or simply had a smoke detector go off. Whatever the reason, these selfless men and women interrupted their lives to protect ours. In payment, they get to spend weeknights and weekends training and practicing to keep us safe.

On Saturday, July 20th, the department celebrated its 75th year of service to us with a parade down our "main street" ... Old Country Road.

Our community showed its support to these brave folks and the members of nine other neighboring fire departments in two ways . . . by vocally objecting to the parade interrupting our Saturday shopping, and by letting them march down empty streets.

Let's all hope they don't follow our example of community the next time we call for help.

Hugh Gigante

Old Bethpage