Ex-chief offers thanks and a call to volunteer

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation for all who have contributed and assisted Harmon Fire Department.

Over my 10-year career with the department, I have had the opportunity to interact with people and businesses from Harmon, Amboy, Dixon, Sublette, Sterling, Rock Falls, Tampico, Coleta, Milledgeville, Walnut, Ohio, Prophetstown, and even as far away as Princeton.

You are all great people and deserve a pat on the back. Thank you. Your qualities are to be admired by all. It shows there are still good people in this world. You were the reason I tried to keep going.

The Harmon community needs new local leaders to step up and regain control of what has become one family’s game. The losers of this game are the community of Harmon. Keep in mind, it’s not just the village of Harmon, but Harmon Township and half of Marion Township.

We already have lost our ambulance, and the fire department may be in jeopardy. The loss of the ambulance already has affected response times. From 10-15 minutes when HFD was in service, it will now be 25-30 minutes.

When people can’t breathe, they don’t have that extra time, which is my main concern. The Harmon community has a lot of people who are getting up in years and depend on that ambulance. I guess this is where I think of myself, because most of those people are friends, family or just part of my community. I care.

Get involved before it’s too late or it gets swept under the rug. Thanks, again, for what everyone has done.

Note to readers – Michael D. Thompson is the former Harmon fire chief.