Last modified: Thursday, April 24, 2008 2:06 AM EDT GUEST COLUMN: Attleboro Y staff merits commendation BY KEITH JACKSON I was pleased to read "Heroism knows no age limits" (April 15 editorial). You are right on target to recognize the good things that our young citizens are capable of, and in some cases, the heroic acts that they will perform when called upon to act. So often we read or hear of malicious and/or violent acts played upon us by youths while the good ones go unnoticed. Kudos to Steve Kolapt and Bill Mackie of Mansfield as well as Jesse Mallon, the Attleboro man credited with preventing a tragedy last week at the Attleboro YMCA. These three teens certainly exemplify what "doing the right thing is all about." The same editorial brings to light that anonymous online critics question the actions of others at the YMCA when the near-drowning occurred on April 8. I find that unfortunate. I was not at the YMCA when the incident began (although many friends suggest a gym membership wouldn't hurt me). I was, however, on duty at the Attleboro Fire Department when we received, not one, but two 911 calls seconds apart. Oftentimes, during an emergency people assume that somebody else is placing, or has already placed a call for help. Two YMCA employees didn't take that chance. Many things went right on April 8 to avert a tragedy. First the 911 operators on duty at the police department were quick to transfer the calls directly to our fire dispatcher while continuing to gather information and dispatch the police officers to the call. The engine and rescue companies nearest to the YMCA both happened to be in quarters at the time and the response time to the "Y" was less than two minutes. Upon arrival of the fire and police, people, presumably employees of the YMCA, directed us down a ramp area directly into the swimming pool area where we needed to be. Emergency exit doors were held open for us and there were no obstructions to prevent quick, easy access to the young victim. People in the pool area, including the lifeguard on duty, assisted the young rescuer in removing the child from the water. An off-duty emergency room physician from our own Sturdy Memorial Hospital happened to be in the immediate area and rendered medical aid prior to our arrival. It is my opinion that the YMCA staff, as well as many others, should be commended for their actions on that day. This letter is not written to diminish the heroic actions of young Jesse Mallon. Jesse is clearly the hero of the day and should be recognized as such for his quick actions. Hopefully my letter will clear some misconceptions about the YMCA and how they responded to an emergency situation. Much can be learned by the positive actions of many people that day. Like I stated, I wasn't there when the incident began, but I certainly was there to witness, first hand, how a potentially tragic situation ended on a happy note. That doesn't always happen in my business. KEITH H. JACKSON is a captain of the Attleboro Fire Department.