The Grammar Gestapo
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To the editor:
Hello, my name is Carol Carter Jones. I grew up in Mount Ayr from 1957 to 1965, when I left to go to the University of Missouri for Journalism. My parents were Wayne and Violet Carter.
I ended up as a teacher. My teenage grandson calls me the Grammar Gestapo.
My husband, whom I met in college, was a volunteer with the Boone County Fire Department right outside of Columbia. He continued to be involved with volunteer fire departments, and is now a volunteer with Versailles Rural Fire Department after giving up his position as Chief a couple years ago.
I also have been a volunteer for many years, although now a limit myself to teaching fire safety and fire prevention to day care children, elementary students, and those in private schools, as well as adults.
Just wanted you to know our history before getting to the crux of this letter.
Your February 11 issue had a front page (below the fold) story about the Mount Ayr Fire Department’s responses in 2020. You noted there were “five accident calls without extraction” and “four accident calls with extraction.” I don’t know whether this was an error by someone on your staff, or Heaven forbid, an error made by someone from the fire department. (I would prefer to think it was not made by a firefighter.)
Dentists “extract” things, like teeth. Firefighters “extricate” people, like occupants from wrecked cars. Fire fighters take special training to learn how to extricate people. This is very important, as just yanking an injured person out of a wrecked car can make his/her injuries that much worse.
Special extrication tools and equipment must be used and the person’s injuries must be stabilized before the procedure can begin.
So, there were 5 accident calls without “extrication” and 4 accident calls with “extrication”.
Thanks for making sure all your staff members understand this important difference.
Carol Jones
Versailles, MO
P. S. I really enjoy receiving the newspaper and reading about local people and events.