CHEERS to the firefighters of the North Country, who have been tested again and again since the start of the year and have demonstrated their value over and over. We have said it before, but it bears repeating: These men and women are among our most valuable assets. Unpaid and paid, they show day and night and in all manner of conditions that they are ready to put all comfort aside to stand in our defense. This is a notoriously bad time of year, as far as house fires are concerned, with appliances running full time to try to maintain heat. It seems that practically every day we carry a story about a fire. The greatest toll, of course, is taken on the families and businesses that suffer losses. What is taken from them can never be fully replaced, even those who are insured. But firefighters and other responders — police, fire police, utility workers — also face stress, the biggest being leaving their families and warm homes at all hours of the day to stand outside for hours in frigid temperatures aiming icy water at smoky, hot structures. Most of them do it for free. If any good came out of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it was a renewed respect for first-responders. What they do for their neighbors shouldn't be underestimated. We send them a sincere thank you.
CHEERS to the Champlain Valley Heart Center at CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh for achieving speed in treating heart attacks that exceeds the national average. Speed is a crucial factor when someone has a heart attack because the sooner the blockage is removed, the less damage is done. CVPH Director of Public Relations Mike Hildebran had this to say about the latest accolades for the center: "The national benchmark for what is known in the business as door-to-balloon time — in other words, the amount of time it takes for the patient to enter the Emergency Department and have angioplasty performed in the catheterization lab — is 90 minutes. In 2011, the door-to-balloon time at CVPH averaged 50 minutes, far better than national norms." That should make everyone in the area feel proud — and very safe. The Heart Center, established in 2005, has proven itself to be efficient and effective, and all the staff members there deserve praise for this important accomplishment.
— If you have a Cheers and Jeers suggestion that you want the Editorial Board to consider, email it to Editor Lois Clermont at letters@pressrepublican.com.
