Mondays Matter: Week 22

Taken from the book Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make A Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza

THANK A FIREFIGHTER!

-73% of firefighters are volunteers, with 66% of more of fire departments staffed 100% by volunteers.

-More than 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year

ACTION STEPS

1. When you see firefighters in uniform, walk up and thank them for keeping you and your community safe.

2. Get out of the way. Pull your car to the right when you hear a siren or see a fire truck with its lights on.

3. Organize your friends, co-workers, neighborhood, or child’s class to create and deliver a thank-you card to your local fire station.

4. Donate to firefighter benefits and causes. If you don’t know of any, ask your local fire department which organizations support them.

5. Minimize your risk of fires-install smoke detectors, keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, don’t overload power plugs, clear brush from around your house, and don’t flick your cigarette butt.

In our small town, our fire department is completly volunteer based. Last night we had a dinner party and just as one of the families was coming to our home, the alarm went off and the husband had to go fight a barn fire. No matter what their plans are, volunteer fire fighters are always “on duty” and have to respond whenever the call comes in. Thankfully, the fire was quickly contained and he was able to arrive later and still enjoy dinner and fellowship. My cousin’s husband, Mike, is employed by the federal government to fight the wildfires that we so frequently hear about in the news. Mike constantly puts himself in danger and leaves his family for weeks at a time to go wherever there is a wild fire. I appreciate his sacrifice as well as his family’s for willing to be apart during those times.

Every day firefighters put their lives on the line to save people and properties. Since the majority of them don’t get paid, let’s “pay” them by showing our appreciation and letting them know of their positive impact on our communities.