He writes:
Jonah,
I am a dog lover, with a goofy yellow Lab I dearly love. I am also a firefighter. Regardless of property rights, the dog owner has no right to jeopardize firefighters. Sure, a rescue attempt for the owner could have resulted in a firefighter death or injury. But breaking a window could ventilate a fire and extend it within the building, trapping firefighters. I’ve seen it happen, and lived to tell the tale.
Yes, firefighters make calculated risks. Our dogma, at least at my department, is risk a lot to save a life, risk a little to save property, risk nothing to save nothing.
I commend the dog owner for his courage, and scold him for acting in a situation he knows little about. Brave as he is, he should apply with a volunteer fire department. He sounds like the kind of guy we need.