Dear Editor,
You had an article in your last paper about the need for a fire department up here in the Dorena-Disston area.
As a matter of fact, we do have an unofficial fire department with three fire trucks and about 20 “fire trailers” that George Swain has helped folks all up and down our valley to build. Right now we have a fire response unit within two or three miles of every home and there are three dispatchers who will call us whenever there is a fire nearby. The only problem we have is that most people will call 9-1-1, which will only get the Cottage Grove Fire Department (about 10 miles away) and they usually won’t help on house fires unless you pay them.
We just got called to a trailer house fire a few days ago at Mile Post 17 and it was extinguished when four fire units arrived on the scene. There are no taxes for this. We all own our own rigs and volunteer our services.
–Dan Holt, Cottage Grove