The Gardiner Fire Department would like to extend our gratitude to the community for the donations of masks and other personal protective equipment during the Covid 19 pandemic as well as the gracious monetary donations.
We are also humbled by the outpouring of support we have seen for our volunteers. It has become a regular occurrence for our crews to be stopped by past patients and family members thanking them for all they do. As an all-volunteer department it can be a challenge to respond to calls for service – but our extremely dedicated members have stepped up to the plate over and over, coming in at all hours to make sure the vehicles are rolling and our community is receiving the emergency care they need.
Being a small-town department, many of our patients are also our friends and neighbors. While to a large degree this can be comforting for those who are sick, for those providing care during a pandemic it is scary to know the potential outcomes and then in several instances witness those worst-case-scenario outcomes occur. We all know stepping into this field that we will inevitably see things that we don’t wish anyone to see, but if there is one commonality that we all have, it is hope. Not only for the best possible outcome but for full recoveries and to hear that our friends and neighbors were able to return home to their loved ones.
Covid has strengthened our bonds and strained our ranks. Our personnel have taken on the back-to-back calls and extended equipment sanitation time without complaint and they continue to show up with a smile.
We are extremely proud of all those who represent Gardiner Fire & Rescue. They are truly dedicated to this department and more importantly to this community. For information about how to join our team please visit gardinerfireandrescue.com/join, and to make a donation, please send a check to Gardiner Fire Department, PO Box 271, Gardiner, NY 12525 or go online at gardinerfireandrescue.org/donate.