Last Sunday volunteer fire departments and rescue from Dakota County were burning an old home in the middle of Jackson, NE., so the volunteers get some hands on training for fires and emergencies. It was a cold, February day but you could really feel the heat!
Dedicated volunteers get called to put out fires and assist people in dangerous situations and without any other reason than to help someone in need. As they don their protective gear and head out into the night, day, heat or cold, their only mission is to help. Training such as the one that happened last Sunday is invaluable to volunteer rescue and fire personnel. The fire was impressive and the crew was cautious, professional and observant.
Early this morning, we awoke to sirens and lights. Our neighbor’s home had caught on fire. The Sioux City fire department, police and ambulance responded with the same characteristics as the volunteers we had just photographed. This, however, wasn't a training session. As the temperature hovered around zero, the firemen and rescue did their best to save the people inside and stop the fire from spreading to the neighboring homes but smoke inhalation killed our neighbor, his friend and his dog long before anyone had called 911. All three perished before the fire had shown itself through the walls.
I sign my emails with this quote, "What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it." by T. Simmons but I don’t run into burning buildings. Most of us don’t. Still, you only get one life. Make it count.
