Fire Week is upon us: that time of year when fire departments across the country give advice and information on how to stay safe during the fall and winter months when handling fireworks, dealing with Christmas trees, and why we should properly clean our chimneys.
But after having gone around to most of the departments in the area (I’m sad to say I never made it up to Caycuse), I have learned that for these men and women, the advice runs a little deeper than that.
These people volunteer their time to help us out in our time of desparate need, always when we least expect it—when our house is on fire in the middle of the night, when an elk steps out in front of our vehicle on our way to work, or any one of any other numerous unpredictable circumstances.
But what we tend not to think about is that these people put their own lives at risk to save our own. They are often put in dangerous situations, situations that could have been prevented if we were more conscientious of our surroundings, and our own plans for safety.
Some of the departments around the lake are not only asking residents to be fire aware this winter, they are also asking for your help to ensure they have the equipment they need to save lives under many different circumstances.
As I have learned, not all departments work in the same way, for example the Youbou department says that because they have a different funding structure, they are not asking their community to help them with fundraising efforts for equipment, rather they say that any fundraising they do goes towards Muscular Dystrophy.
However, I personally don’t think it is such a bad thing for local departments to ask for help once in a while. Through doing so, the men and women of any department create more awareness of the work they do every day to keep the communities they care about safe.
So why not give back to these people by helping them fundraise for the equipment they need.
Both the Lake Cowichan and Mesachie Lake departments are looking for your support. See the Fire Prevention Week section for more details.
— editor@lakecowichangazette.com
