Brownsville firefighters to send $2,000
BROWNSVILLE – Brownsville firefighters raised $1,700 in just three hours Sunday morning as they gathered contributions for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans. “That’s not bad for three hours work,” said South Brownsville Fire Capt. Ron Barry. Barry said the firefighters are going to add $300 of their own money to the donations to make it an even $2,000 that they will contribute to the New Orleans Fire Department. Barry said donations will be accepted through Friday, and he expects the total to climb higher.
“We had someone drop off a contribution at the fire hall today and someone mailed a check to the credit union,” Barry said.
Barry said the money collected by the South Brownsville and Brownsville No. 1 volunteer fire departments will go to the professional fire department in New Orleans.
“The New Orleans Fire Department has a disaster relief fund set up through the firefighters union, the International Association of Fire Fighters. They have a fund set up specifically for that purpose. It will go to help people directly affected by the hurricane,” Barry said.
Barry said it’s been extremely difficult in New Orleans for the firefighters themselves.
“A lot of them have lost their homes too. Some of them have been on duty since the hurricane and don’t even know the fate of their own families. There’s no water, the hydrants are shut off, fires are burning out of control and people are shooting at them, but they’re still doing their jobs,” Barry said.
Barry said that while Brownsville firefighters hand-delivered contributions raised in 2001 for the firefighters in New York following the Sept. 11 attacks, the donations to the New Orleans firefighters will probably be sent through the mail along with a personal letter from the firefighters here.
“There’s a man in charge of the program and I’ll be in touch with him before I send it,” Barry said.
“It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that firefighters from this area could be going there. FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is calling for assistance.”
Barry said local firefighters would need the approval of their fire chief and Brownsville Borough Council before heading to the disaster area.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the firefighters’ relief efforts may send a check to the Brownsville Firefighters Memorial Fund, c/o Newell Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 128, Brownsville, Pa., 15417.