Take a moment to thank those who serve others

Because of the violence that has broken out during the riots in St. Louis, Baltimore, New York, and other cities around the country, a lot of attention has been placed on law enforcement. Members of law enforcement all over the country have paid the ultimate price while protecting those they serve, but there are other members in the emergency response field that are often overlooked. Everyday people dial 911 for various reasons, but we do not always hear about what goes on during those calls, and the stories of those heroes are often never told.

A couple of years ago I was speaking to someone whose home had burned down from a chimney fire. This family had lost everything: clothes, furniture, money, etc. They also lost all their family pictures, their children's first Christmas ornaments, and just about anything else that helped commemorate the memories they had of their family.

This would be devastating to anyone, but you would never know by listening to this man's story. He was not upset at all; in fact, he was very happy. He went on to tell me that they were all asleep in bed when a member of a fire department driving by in the night saw flames through the window of their house and kicked open the door and helped wake everyone up and get them to safety. He knew that what he almost lost was far more precious than anything else that could have been destroyed by the fire.

This week, two firefighters lost their lives in Kansas City just shortly after they helped save the lives of two people who were in the fire. In law enforcement we wear ballistic vests because people often shoot at the police while police are trying to protect someone they do not know. Firefighters wear fire resistant clothing and carry oxygen tanks because they often go into burning buildings where you cannot see or breath, and they do it all to save the lives of people they have never met.

Statistics show that anywhere from 80-100 firefighters die each year in the line of duty. These statistics also show that more than half of these deaths are a result of over exertion, stress, and other job related issues. Just like the police, they go to work each day not knowing if this will be their last. They are the ones that run into the burning house when everyone else is running away.

Tonight there are some out there who will go to bed in the comfort and safety of their homes, because someone else was willing to give up that right for them. It does not matter if it is members of the military, the police, the firefighters, or the EMS; if you go to a job each day that requires you to risk your life for someone else's, it is not just a job, and you are a hero.

I would encourage everyone to take just a few minutes out of their busy day the next time they see a first responder to let them know that what they do is appreciated. They serve our community, and they do it no matter what the cost.