On Thanksgiving morning, I was thankful for the Port Washington fire medic ambulance that was stationed at Manorhaven Park in case it was needed at the Community Chest Thanksgiving Day Run.

Through Thanksgiving day and night, I was thankful for the members of the Port Washington Fire Department and medics who left the comfort of their homes and families 10 times to answer the calls of their neighbors.

During the past year I have been thankful for the department members who were at the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society Fair, at Harborfest, at our elementary schools and countless other events to promote fire safety to our children.

I have been thankful every year when I see the fire department volunteers "standing by" at the Schreiber High School Gambol and football games.

For the training sessions that our firefighters and medics attend to keep themselves aware of changes in building construction, in equipment updates and in terrorism response, I am thankful.

When I have been home in bed during raging snowstorms, I have been thankful for the volunteers who have chosen to stay overnight at the firehouse so they were more readily available to answer emergency calls quickly under bad road conditions which would otherwise delay response time.

As I hear the sirens of trucks and ambulances answering calls for help throughout our community, I give thanks and say a short prayer I was told a few years ago: "May God be with them who are on their way and may God be with those they are going to help."

Kenneth J. Buettner