As the nation moves toward the bitter cold of the final two months of yet another year, we are reminded of the ever present danger of fire. Firefighters work each day and long night to fight fires in all manner of structures. The equipment is modern, as are the mindfs, but one trait held over from the earliest days of firefighting is courage.
Sacrifice is a word not wholly appreciated by the masses. Most people, given the choice, firmly adhere to "first do no harm to thyself." It's part of the human condition. Firefighters don't have that luxury. Their battle, the majority of the time, is in harms way and their chances of getting injured or killed exceed that of the local barber.
Were it not so the job of firefighter could be filled by anyone. Alas, with the decision made to fight fire one assumes a certain risk and admits to history that inside, where the fire is, he or she must go. Make no mistake, no one advocated doing this without analyzing the risks involved but thats just it-risk is inherent.
No one wants to see another firefighter die. Yet we will, and we will mourn, just as any warrior mourns over the loss of comrades, brothers, sisters-those who accepted a challenge to live beyond the ordinary. It's not romantic, it's hard work, it's dangerous, but that is a choice made by those who serve others.
A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature.
---John Stuart Mill
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