| An Appreciated Perspective |
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| Wednesday, 27 May 2009 | |
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On Tuesday, 5/26, the Suburban Journal ran the following editorial in their "Opinion Shapers" column: I heard it before I saw it, but by the time I pulled my pickup safely to the shoulder of the road I had spotted the emergency vehicle in my rearview mirror. As is the lion's share of good ideas that are generated around my house, my wife Nancy had decided it would be good for she and my grandson Cameron, on a weekend he was staying at our house, to bake several batches of cookies and deliver them to fire stations in our area. A firefighter named Glenn (I am sorry to say I have forgotten his last name) met us at the door, graciously accepted our gift, then invited us inside for a tour. Glenn took us through the station and showed us around. In a friendly fashion he explained how the fire station was staffed, how calls were responded to, what a typical day in the life of a firefighter consisted of, and then he asked us to step over to one of the trucks. In the next few minutes Glenn showed us the features of this fire truck, such as lights, sirens, radios, computers and so forth. Then he showed us how the pumps work, where the hoses were stored, how it all hooks up, where all the safety and rescue equipment was located. After answering our questions, he took us up into the cab of the truck. I don't care how old I am, climbing up into that fire truck I was as fascinated as any kid has ever been. Looking at all the bells and whistles of this magnificent piece of machinery was enthralling. Sitting on one of the seats, I imagined what it would be like rolling down the road dressed in firefighters' garb, not knowing what emergency conditions awaited, but trusting that my training, equipment, practice and experience would provide what was needed. Fast forward to a few weeks later. We are again at the beginning of this story, pulled onto the shoulder of a road in my pickup, allowing a fire truck with lights flashing and siren wailing as much room as possible for safe passage to an emergency scene. It was this exact moment when it hit me. There are men and women stationed throughout St. Charles County that have trained extensively to respond to all kinds of emergency conditions. These are people who continually safeguard the lives of the rest of us, day and night, responding when we are in need, and making a difference in our communities. People like Glenn, the Wentzville firefighter that I, along with my wife and grandson, met the Sunday afternoon when we took cookies to his firehouse. Although I have always known this, I just never let it sink into me on an emotional level until that day as I pulled over to the side of the road. The firefighters serving our communities are well-trained professionals who have dedicated their lives to serving you and me in an emergency. And that is commendable, but this is what touched my emotions: I realized that Glenn, a man I've only briefly talked with and barely know, along with other firefighters in our county I've never even met, would not hesitate to run into a burning building to save my family. Or yours. Bill Fearn of St. Peters is a supermarket journeyman meatcutter. Opinion Shapers are chosen annually to write five columns on topics of interest to them. |
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