Praise for Cape's firefighters

To the editor:

Recently we witnessed a serious house fire next door to us. We were pleased with the quick response time of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department.

The professionalism and skills shown by the team throughout the long hours battling the spreading fire were impressive. Cape Girardeau residents should be proud and thankful that the city has provided resources and standards in the development of a high-caliber, performance-driven fire department. Not only does this department respond to fires, but it also provides us with emergency medical services, which many times offer first and critical response to emergency or trauma incidents.

We became interested in the training provided to firefighters. How can our town be so fortunate? We discovered that not only must firefighters consistently learn and meet certain standards of their profession, they are required to be physically fit to meet the rigors that life-threatening fire or trauma calls demand. Thankfully, the city contracts with a Cape Girardeau hospital to provide professional expertise in the form of cardiac stress testing, fitness programs and exercise prescriptions, which not only help to keep our firefighters healthy to do their job, but it prevents disease. Few people know that nearly 50 percent of all firefighter mortalities are cardiac related.

Our tax money is worth every penny that goes to this department. Hats off to these unsung heroes who are here for you 24/7.

BEVERLY and WAYNE HOOVER, Cape Girardeau