Country Roads

Living in a rural community can’t be beat! Volunteering and helping out one another is a regular occurence here. Recently a fund raiser was held in my hometown for its rural fire department, who along with many other area fire departments came together to battle a fast moving wildfire that happened a couple of months ago, causing much damage. Hours and several days and nights were spent not only fighting the fire but making sure the fire stayed out. Many volunteers came together to hold this fund raiser. Donations were made in funds, food and auction items. Work was done ahead of the event and plans were formed and carried out. People came from all over to attend the event and the much needed and appreciated funds were raised.

As with most all fire departments in this county and in the surrounding areas, the fire men and women are all volunteers who rush to a fire when needed. If aid is needed in a neighboring area, other fire departments are called and help the local department. Sometimes the calls come in the middle of the night; sometimes they come in the middle of a work day or week-end, but these volunteers leave their beds, their jobs and their recreation time to answer the call.

Those who have been awakened in the middle of the night to a call that sometimes takes hours, still have to go to work the next morning. It may be a long day working on the job in a store, at a grain elevator, driving a truck, working in a bank or laboring on a farm or ranch.

Volunteers risk their lives and sometimes their own property. In order to arrive to the fire or to the local fire department building, they use their private vehicles that is using some of that expense $4.63 a gallon gasoline or even more expensive diesel fuel.

They depend on funds to have appropriate and needed fire fighting vehicles, supplies and wearing apparel. What would we do if they didn’t volunteer?

So when the volunteer fire department that serves your local area, or surrounding areas, holds fund raising events, be sure to donate, attend and tell them thank you personally for all they do.