To the Editor:
July 25, 2026.
I have recently completed the trifecta of Edgartown’s emergency services. I have had the misfortune to have fallen and broken my back, been viciously assaulted at my back door by drunken bachelor party celebrants, and my home was struck by lightning during last weekend’s thunderstorm.
The EMTs got me safely off the ground and to the hospital; the police found and arrested my assailant, who fled the Island, within 24 hours. In the early morning hours of Sunday last week, the smoke detectors sounded, and my wife, our pets, and I got out of the house. The 911 officer was quick and professional, the Edgartown Fire Department arrived in minutes. The lightning came up through the ground — unusual, but it happens. It ignited the vapor barrier and melted the foam insulation in our crawl space, slowly filling the house with toxic fumes. Nothing was obvious about the source of the smoke. The Edgartown Fire Department used thermal imagery and searched the entire house, located and extinguished the fire. Powerful fans vented the house of smoke. Once certain the fire was out, the air quality was checked with meters to ensure it was safe to remain. The Edgartown Police Department asked if we needed assistance with housing. I saw the EMTs in the street on standby.
I remember selectman Ted Morgan once said at the town meeting, “Never say ‘no’ to motherhood or the fire department.” I would only add to that wise advice, any of our town’s emergency services. I hope you never need them, but trust me, they are excellent. We are very fortunate to have such quality and well-trained personnel in such a small town.
Stephen and Karyn Caliri
Edgartown
