C. LEE BENNETT, Westfield Fire Commissioner
WESTFIELD- The Fire Commission voted unanimously April 5 to send a letter of commendation to all fire department employees who worked during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The motion to send the letter was made by Commission Chair C. Lee Bennett, who praised the firefighters who still did their job despite the collective uncertainty and fear in the early days of the pandemic.
“I know it may sound trite, but I really do appreciate it, and I know the public and citizens of Westfield are appreciative of your work,” said Bennett.
Last spring, when the pandemic was nearing its first peak, sources said that the fire and police departments had some of the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in Westfield. This was at a time when there was a significant shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing capabilities were not as widespread as they are now.
“A lot of them went into homes not knowing if they were going to get infected or if they would bring it home to their families,” said Bennett.
A letter of commendation had not yet been drafted, as Bennett said she was not yet sure how to word it. She said that it will go into every fire department employee’s file if they worked during the pandemic, including employees who are not firefighters.
