As amazing as their willingness to go above and beyond in carrying out their duties is their ability to meet challenges. It was a privilege to tell how they successfully arranged a telephone alarm system that even the telephone company said couldn't work and invented a method of shutting off a ruptured natural gas line that other departments quickly adopted.

I recently had occasion to put my life in the hands of these neighbors who responded to a 4 a.m. call for help in a medical emergency. They were prompt, thorough, compassionate and performed in a highly professional manner, even following up to see if my bride or I had any final needs before they left the hospital to return home and get ready for their regular daytime jobs.

A simple “thank you” seems far too little for what these selfless citizens do for Chugiak residents on a regular basis. Since a thank you is the only pay they get, I would like to shout mine from the rooftops, but will settle for this. Thanks, neighbors, for attention to your training, for being there, and for serving with care, compassion and good humor at all hours of the day or night.

Ñ Lee Jordan

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, May 1, 2008.