Riverhead Fire Department chief responds to Aguiar’s disparaging comments about firefighters who rescued elderly women from burning building

Dear Supervisor Aguiar:

This is an open letter in response to the numerous media outlet reports and audio comments captured on an open microphone during a recent Town meeting.

As Chief, it is with great honor that I lead the membership of the Riverhead Fire Department (RFD). Our membership serves the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has done so since the 1800s.

The RFD responds to 1,500 emergency calls for assistance a year. Those calls range from structure fires, vehicle fires. brush fires, car accidents, as well as a multitude of other services we provide for the Riverhead community. Not to mention, to effectively perform this level of perfection, countless hours of training are undergone.

We are disheartened by your recent comments and want to set the record straight. 1st Assistant Chief William Renten and Firefighter Frank Greenwood did, in fact, put themselves in harm’s way, and without hesitation, to ensure the safety of two residents from a confirmed working structure fire on January 25. These men knowingly went into a fully engulfed structure without proper protective equipment or concern for their own safety. Both men reacted and did what they have been trained to do; let us also not forget that the structure was extinguished, and the surrounding properties were protected.

Furthermore, your comments were not only insulting to the Department and its membership but were without merit. Our firefighters and Department do not deserve to be disgraced for ensuring the safety and well-being of the Riverhead community which they are sworn to serve and protect. It is our strong belief that the Department and its membership, along with these two firefighters, deserve your apology.

Firematically,

Chief Joseph Hartmann