For those lucky enough to have never had to place a call to an emergency service, it might be easy to overlook what the men and women who answer those calls might have to face.
Those that attended this weekend’s Eastern Regional FireFit Championships at the Napanee Fairground were given a glimpse of what Greater Napanee, Stone Mills and Loyalist Township’s bravest train for year round-albeit in a much more controlled setting.
A few participants even had the chance to try their hand at the course as part of the FireFit Corporate Challenge. If nothing else they help put into perspective just how tough the course can be. Some of the professional individuals completed the course in a fraction of the time than of some of the Corporate Challenge relay teams.
Ideally no firefighter would ever have to complete a course as challenging as the FireFit set up in real life, but the fact is they have to be prepared for that possibility. When a fire breaks out and everyone else runs for safety, they’re the ones that run towards danger.
As this weekend showed, battling a blaze isn’t as simple as dousing a structure with water. Just getting the hose set up requires a great deal of brute strength. In the case when a person or family pet is trapped inside, emergency service members won’t hesitate to break down a door and rush into a smoke covered room in search of occupants.
As impressive as this weekend’s FireFit relay and individual races were, they also brought on a sense of reassurance for the audience. A comforting feeling to know that there’s a group of men and women of all ages, professional and volunteer, who are both willing and capable to push their body to the limit in an effort to rescue complete strangers from peril.
The same can be said for the local police and EMS staff as they too are prepared to put their lives on the line at a moment’s notice or witness unspeakable traumas. An unfortunate reminder of that came last week in Nova Scotia when Fredericton Police officers Const. Sara Burns and Const. Robb Costello were killed in the line of duty. According to the Canadian Police Association, 865 police or peace officers have been slain while wearing a badge since 1867, a grim reminder of the price some pay to keep our country safe. While the U.S. may garner the international headlines, the truth is the men and women who serve up north have more than their share of dangerous situations to deal with here at home.
Meanwhile in British Columbia, men and women risk their lives round the clock in an effort to contain wild fires that threaten thousands of lives and homes.
This weekend’s FireFit was a much more light-hearted, yet much needed reminder of the importance of the real life heroes in our community. A simple gesture can go along way towards showing gratitude, such as making sure each floor of a house has a working smoke alarm. Respecting burn bans. Switching lanes when passing a pulled over police car or even just a simple ‘thank you’ when passing them on the street.