Visitor grateful after watching local emergency responders

Editor's Note: The following letter was sent to the Lincoln County Commissioners, the State Patrol, the Libby Volunteer Fire Department and Libby Police Department.

To the Editor:

On March 23, 2006, at about 4:45 p.m., I was the first traveler on the scene of a head on collision on Route 2, just west of Libby, in which both drivers died at the scene of the accident.

I called "911" and went to the vehicles to see if there was any assistance I could offer until aid came. Within minutes the Libby law enforcement , state patrol, and volunteer fire department and volunteer ambulance were on the scene. I was instructed by the state patrolman to return to my vehicle just yards away from the accident site until the road could be cleared for travel. A couple of hours later I was on my way home to Stevensville, Mont.

As I sat in my vehicle and watched the work of all the aid personnel I was impressed to see how they acted with skill, diplomacy and genuine concern. There were dozens of aid personnel, representing all ages and both genders, and they, to a person, arrived on the scene with obvious excitement that they might be able to do something that might save the life of the individuals involved. I watched as each person was told that there were no accident survivors and saw the sadness and disappointment show on the face of each person.

Still, they performed their duties, coordinated all work with skill and precision, and clearly worked as a team to make the best of a very bad situation. At three separate times, fire department and police personnel came over to me to ask if I was O.K., if I needed a phone to call home and to express regret that I had to witness the accident and wait for so long until the scene could be cleared. As soon as they could, they cleared a path for me to drive through and be on my way home.

Before I left, I watched as the two vehicles involved in the accident were moved to the shoulder of the road and aid vehicles were carefully positioned to shield the two cars and the work to be done from view. I assumed the extrication process would occur at that time. I imagine that this is a common practice and that it is actually done to prevent passersby from witnessing the extrication process. It is probably done for safety reasons, but after all that I had been watching I interpreted it as a final act of respect to the victims. Their bodies could be taken from the vehicles in privacy.

I do not have enough good words to express my appreciation for the people who came to the accident scene to do the work they have trained and prepared to do. They could not save the drivers of these two vehicles but if they could have I am sure they would have been successful. I felt so grateful to have had the opportunity to watch them work and interact. They should be appreciated for all the times they show up to help when no amount of help can save the lives of those involved. I will never forget their faces, their skill and their compassion.

It was very painful to be at the scene of the death of two people I did not know, but I got something very precious in return. A front row seat into the heroic and often disappointing work of the fire department, police and rescue personnel in Lincoln County. You can be proud of them and I hope you let them know that.

Trish Foster

Stevensville