I am responding to an article ("Lawsuit: Women in fire unit harassed," Nov. 3), which states that Westbrook firefighters were put on unpaid administrative leave as discipline for improper patient care. This has never happened.

The members of this department have always provided the best possible patient care, and I have received numerous correspondences from patients relating the excellent care they have received from our members. Out of the 30 career firefighters, many members have sought the additional medical training and currently 15 members are licensed at the paramedic level.

This department uses a Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement (QA/QI) Committee that continually reviews ambulance run reports and the actions taken by the medics to ensure that we maintain the best possible patient care. The members of this department go out each day to deal with illness, trauma and the dying while their only purpose is to save lives and ease the patient's suffering.

I am proud of the members of this department as they continue to do an outstanding job of service to the public under stressful conditions.

Chief Daniel F. Brock

Westbrook Fire Rescue