We’re bombarded with all sorts of “weeks” during the year. It’s easy to tune them out after a while, because of the absurdity.
But there are some that do have value, including one that many of us have grown up with.
Next week is Fire Prevention Week across the country. It’s not just a chance to take a few minutes to think about how you would react in case of a fire at your home or business, and maybe practise an escape plan in case of fire, but it’s also an opportunity to recognize the firefighters who serve your community.
And they deserve to be celebrated.
Most of us in the southeast live in a community with a volunteer fire department, or a paid, on-call department. The men and women who serve in these departments typically have a full-time job that they have to leave to respond to a call. Often they’re rushing away from their families for a call.
A lot of calls are brief. But others are more serious, and can require many hours. Or they might be well out of town, or in a remote field that can be difficult to find.
We all know it can take some time to travel 50 kilometres, and the weather conditions and the roads aren’t always ideal.
There will be those days when the fire department has three or four calls come in, or they’ll be called back out moments after they’ve returned to the station.
Many firefighters have seen some pretty harrowing scenes during their careers. The impact of those more serious calls might not be felt for years.
Their employers are understanding. After all, they allow the firefighters to leave their jobs on a moment’s notice and respond to a fire, an accident or even a false alarm. The employers know those employees may not be back for some time, or even the rest of the day.
And, of course, the families of these firefighters have to show tremendous patience, because the call might come during supper, while watching a movie, in the midst of date night, at a kid’s hockey game, a birthday party or in the middle of the night.
Our firefighters are well trained. Just because they’re paid on-call or volunteer doesn’t mean they don’t know what they’re doing. They’re knowledgeable and able to apply that knowledge on a moment’s notice in difficult situations.
Being a firefighter isn’t just about responding to calls. It’s about being a high-profile part of the community. It’s about showing up in the fire truck and interacting with the public, even if it’s not something you want to do that day. It’s about giving that last tour of the fire engine to a kid, even if you were supposed to be out of there 10 minutes earlier.
There’s a reason that when kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, firefighter is often the most common answer.
While municipalities can’t give the fire department a blank cheque (nor can they do it for any department) they always have to make sure they’re giving their firefighters the resources they need, whether it be gear, fire trucks or even an adequate building. Both of the fire departments in Estevan and Carlyle can vouch for the difference a new building has made.
It’s up to us as well to ensure that we’re showing the fire department the respect it deserves. Not just by thanking the firefighters that we know in the community.
It means following their directions. When they say to follow safe cooking procedures, or have working smoke alarms with proper batteries, then do it. When they have a theme of this year like Know the Sounds of Fire Safety, learn them.
If they’re responding to a call and they say stay back, listen to them.
There are likely things they would rather be doing than responding to a call.
Expressing gratitude to firefighters needs to extend beyond Fire Prevention Week. But it’s still a good time to say thanks.
