To the editor:

I am writing this letter to clarify my Fire Commissioner statement regarding animal rescue on Bainbridge Island. I feel the statement was selected out of context and misrepresented me as well as the comment I attempted to make. Mr. Kelly, the editor of the Bainbridge Island Review, and I were discussing how the department’s areas of focus can effect safety of responders and citizens of Bainbridge Island.

More specifically, the discussion centered on the grant money the department received from the federal government, and how that money affected the department policies, and safety of responders and citizens while the technical rescue team is deployed on and off the island. I was trying to emphasize how important it is for a fire commissioner to consider the long-term effect of his or her decision, and how I am going to focus on the safety of responders and the safety of citizens of Bainbridge Island.

Last week’s article was a good but painful lesson for me to learn.

I can assure the citizens of Bainbridge Island that the Bainbridge Island Fire Department will rescue animals as we always have.

YONGSUK CHO

Bainbridge Island