With all the terrible things happening in this world today – Madeleine McCann, Rhys Jones, the horrific fires in Greece, two wars in the Middle East – it annoys me that some people are moaning about my local fire service.

According to an independent report it is one of the top three best performing brigades in the country. Is this not good value to the taxpayer?

They are not the only brigade that operates a so-called “archaic system”. They are one of many – and it works.

Response times are not measured on how quick they get out of the door. They are timed on reaching the incident. I think you’ll find they fall within Government set targets both day and night.

Stereotyping people will always rub them up the wrong way. I know a firefighter who hasn’t got a set of golf clubs and has never done a day’s secondary employment in his life.

His spare time is spent keeping himself fit for the job he loves. He also does voluntary work for Community First Responders.

It seems to me there must be an underlying reason for your letter to the Shropshire Star. Have you a grudge? or have they done you a disservice in the past?

The quote you gave was from another brigade, not Shropshire. Rugby is at the south end of the M6.

Nobody moaned in July when the crews were out all hours rescuing people from flooded houses!

Miss S Carline, Wrockwardine Wood, Telford