Firefighters provide service

To the editor:

I hated to see the Speak Out comment about the fire department. As a recent applicant, I have to say I didn't see any minorities show up for the testing process. I know for a fact that the department is an equal-opportunity employer and has had minority employees before. Maybe if the commentator had looked at the years past he would have seen minorities in the department.

As for using volunteers, I don't agree. Volunteers most of the time take several minutes to respond to an emergency instead of the one minute the Cape Girardeau Fire Department takes. When someone's house is burning or someone's loved one is dying, those minutes are critical. I believe we are gifted to have the fire and emergency medical services personnel we currently have. They are there when we need them because not everyone will run into the burning home or start CPR for their fellow man like a firefighter/EMT will.

RANDY MORRIS JR., Cape Girardeau