On Sunday, June 3, 2012 I received a phone call at 8:05 a.m. It was one of my co-workers who told me about a fire that he had been at a couple hours earlier. He wanted to know if I wanted to be picked up to see the damage for myself. When we arrived at the scene I couldn’t believe my eyes!

Look at the photos on the front page that were taken hours after the fire began. When we arrived there were still smoldering flames occurring. Imagine what the firefighters and those trapped residents had to endure when the fire was at its peak.

Kudos to the bravery exhibited by these firefighters. Perth Amboy’s Fire Department is made up of both paid and volunteer personnel. When they are performing their duties rescuing individuals or in some cases animals, the last thing on a person’s mind who is trapped in an inferno is not a firefighter’s status. All they know is that someone is coming to save them and that is all that matters to them.

I was looking at these brave firefighters wearing 50 to 75 lbs of mandatory protective gear. As spectators and some of the displaced residents are trying to find relief from the heat, the firefighters strapped with those extra 50+ pounds must endure much more.

As I was leaving the scene with my co-worker to go back home we stopped to talk some of the firefighters who were taking a well deserved break. While my co-worker snapped a photo of them I was shooting a video while they were talking.

Before leaving them I gave each firefighter and some of the personnel from the fire department a hug. That is the least I could do to show my appreciation for all that they do.

So a huge thanks to all of the firefighters (paid and volunteers) and to those who came from out of town to help. Again – you did a superb job and thank God there was no loss of life.

This was the second huge fire in Perth Amboy in the last two years. There were many displaced residents who were helped not only by the community at large but also by many outside contributors. On page 2 you will see a notice on how to contribute to help these displaced residents get back on their feet. I urge all who can to make a contribution to do so. If you cannot afford it on your own, perhaps you can get a group of colleagues or those in your own neighborhood to make a small contribution. If that is not possible, prayers are free.

C.M.