When the Delaware County firefighting community gathered last Friday to offer a final salute to longtime Brookhaven Chief Bob "Big Bob" Montella Sr., it was a powerful moment.
For a couple of reasons.
First and foremost, it was to honor a lifetime of service. Montella was a lifetime member of Brookhaven Fire Co.
But it also underlined another stark reality.
When they made the mold for men like Montella, they threw away the mold.
The truth is that people are not volunteering the way they used to, and nowhere is that more prevalent than in the plummeting number of volunteer firefighters.
It's not just happening here in Delaware County. It's occurring across the state.
A recent report confirmed the problem, which one state official branded a "crisis."
He wasn't lying.
We talk about it on today's editorial page.
Comments