In his July 20 commentary, “Location key to fast emergency response” (BDN, July 20), Thomas Hart points out some of the challenges that firefighters face in many small Maine towns. While there are many factors behind these problems, they are at least partly due to how we have allowed our towns to grow, mainly through sprawl.

He harks back to bucket brigades in colonial times. In those days, most people lived in villages where brigades were possible. Development in remote parts of town and along narrow, unsafe roads is a result of planning decisions that we as a society have allowed. These decisions are increasing the cost of fire protection as Hart so aptly points out.

Towns approving developments in remote areas need to assure that adequate provisions for fire protection are made by the developer so that the taxpayers don’t have to shoulder the burdens Hart describes. Also, by enacting measures to avoid sprawl, towns can avoid some of these problems in the first place.

Thomas E. Martin

Hancock County

Planning Commission

Ellsworth