1978

To the editor:

Maeterlinckin his "Our Social Duty" states, "At every crossway on the road thatleads to the future, each progressive spirit is opposed by a thousandmen appointed to guard the past. Let us have no fear lest the fairtowers of former days be sufficiently defended. The least that themost timid among us can do is not to add to the immense dead weightwhich nature drags along."

It wasgratifying to read the letter of Al Campbell and Durwood Millerwritten on behalf of the Committee for One Manchester. It madeimmediately clear that any further comments by either side on theissue of consolidation would be redundant and should await theresults of the referendum, and the recommendations of the commission,if appointed.

May I saythat I was raised in Perth Amboy, N.J., and as a child was aware thatthere were no less than eight fire districts in my town, each namedafter one of our country's presidents. My father, a volunteerfireman, was a member of the Lincoln Hose Co. and a great deal of myfamily's social life revolved about the firehouse. Those wereinteresting days as there was intense social and recreationalcompetition among the fire districts, and each firehouse constituteda social center. Each group had its own masquerade ball, clam bake,and baseball team, etc. In their day each of the districts not onlyprovided essential fire protection but a much needed sociability aswell.

Inevitably,Perth Amboy, N.J., continued to grow, and larger and largerindustries entered our area, and it soon became apparent that asingle fire department providing full protection was necessary. To besure, each fire department or district was reluctant to give up itsexistence, but reason prevailed and all were united into a commontown fire department, and my dad spent the rest of his days as a paidfireman working full time for his great love, the Lincoln Hose Co.Thus, I am not unfamiliar with the problems of consolidation and thedifficulties involved in its resolution.

My secondinterest in consolidation was when I built my home on Wyllys Streetin 1950 and discovered after it was finished that I was not eligiblefor fire protection, except at the sufferance of the South ManchesterFire Department. I had built a home in Manchester; but as it turnedout, it was neither in the South nor North End fire district!

I was toldthe South End or South Manchester Fire Department would probablyrespond to a call for help, but since I was not in the fire districtand did not pay fire taxes, my home would be on "second call". Thiswas too much and I decided it was high time for Manchester to grow upand provide fire protection for anyone in its city limits not only inits fire districts.

This came topass and the Town of Manchester absorbed the South Manchester FireDepartment.

At that time,I was convinced that it would have been better if the town ofManchester could have absorbed the North End fire department as well,that the problem was complicated by the fact that the North Enddepartment was a part of the Eighth Utilities District which providedboth water and sewer services as well. Today, these ancillaryservices pose really no problem and are to some extent alreadyresolved.

Hopefully,someday we will see a single townwide fire department large enoughand staffed sufficiently well to meet not only our fire protectionneeds of today but for our entire future as well.

In themeantime, let us not prejudge the results of a legitimate but as yetuncalled referendum and the conclusions of an as yet nonexistentcommission. In unity there is indeed strength.

Sincerely yours,

Charles E. Jacobson Jr., M.D.

45 Wyllys St.

Manchester, CT