DO our fine services really need to resort to strike action for their value to be recognised? With this in mind - how much do you value your life?

Having taken advantage of North Yorkshire Fire Services' risk assessment and installation of fire alarms I suggest you all take time to consider re- cent headlines. They could easily read: "Fire engulfs family home - all perish".

Mrs Sylvia Akrill,

Huntington Road, York.

...TAKING Graham Horne's argument to the next level (Letters, October 28) the 'consumerist riff-raff' he refers to would, by definition, not merit any attention from our public servants.

This would mean doctors only attend firefighters and police officers, firefighters only rescue police officers and doctors and so forth.

In this exalted strata of society, remuneration would presumably be along the lines of: "If you cure my backache, I'll emulsion your hallway on my day off."

Keith Wellburn,

The Village, Strensall,

York.

Updated: 11:31 Wednesday, November 13, 2002