On November 11, the emergency call came in to Lacolle, Quebec.  The local volunteer fire department was desperately needed to assist in putting out a fire across the border in nearby Rouses Point, New York.  The six firemen from Lacolle piled into their fire engine and raced for the border, siren sounding and lights flashing.  Hands across the border, in accord with a long-standing mutual aid agreement worked out by small communities along the frontier. At the border, U.S. customs stopped the men for clearance, taking up to 15 minutes.  Lacolle fire chief Jean-Pierre Hébert reports that “He told us we’d need our passports next time.”It’s good to know that the border is being protected.  Security is job number one.  And the landmark Anchorage Inn in Rouses Point is a landmark no more—just a pile of ashes.