Standing outside the fire

The time, energy and dedication to task the Chronicle Times spent in producing last Friday’s salute to firefighters pales in comparison to the efforts of our devoted men and women filling the rosters of our county fire departments.

As impressive as seeing the dozens of proud, brave volunteer firefighters assembled as a close-knit team in their group photos, the realization that these are the faceless, nameless heroes in their helmets and turn-out gear we don’t recognize as our friends and neighbors when they answer the call…day or night…winter or summer…weekdays or weekends…all for one…one for all…all of the time…

The word “volunteer” reverberates loudly in this invaluable fraternity whose mission in our words is to save lives and property while minimizing the impact of a calamity. This is serious stuff, folks. Step up or step back.

Yet time after time, our unpaid volunteer heroes put aside family, jobs, idle hours, and R&R time to respond in a quick hurry to a call - whether it be a structure fire, car wreck, haz-mat event, flood, wildfire, law enforcement assist, etc.

Also, in today’s world our firefighters must undergo many hours on and off the job training, thereby providing citizens with an immediate beneficial response from trained professionals who not only know what to do when, but to do it with uncanny efficiency and effectiveness all geared at minimizing the damage to people and property.

Firefighters and all first responders are and will forever remain the true heroes among us for they, prepared, ready and willing, run to the danger while the rest of us flee.

No greater love, indeed.