THE EDITOR, Sir:

I write to inform you of a magnificent citizenship action by the police and the fire brigade during the heavy rains affecting the Corporate Area on Wednesday, October 31.

About 5:30 p.m. that day during the heavy rains, I received a phone call from the helper of an elderly lady whose house in Hope Pastures, Kingston 6, was flooded. The lady is a former principal of Ardenne High School. She had wanted to contact my wife, who is a former pupil of Ardenne and who had been helping to look after her, but she was at work and could not be reached easily.

Emergency action

Under these circumstances, I phoned the police at 119 and asked them to help the lady in her distress. This they promised to do.

I have since learned by seeing and talking to the lady and phoning 119, that the police promptly started emergency action. Within the hour, they organised a car with seven men - of the Half-Way Tree Fire Station - who included Messrs. A. Gordon, G. Daley, J. Taylor, J. Francis, B. Ross, H. Davis and R. Frazer.

They went to the house where they found that the water was already in all the rooms, including the bedrooms. They proceeded to bail out the water with buckets and swept out the mud with shovels and brooms. By then the water level was no longer rising and it was not necessary to evacuate the lady.

I want to thank and congratulate the police and the fire brigade most sincerely for this emergency act of citizenship of the highest order. This action is a fine example for all the people, young and old, of our beloved country, and shows the work of these two great organisations.

I am, etc.,

Dr. KEITH MCKENZIE

Kingston 6