When firefighters save a life, they
are smothered in warm kudos by voices of praise in the community. They are
recognized for their courage and their strong dedication to duty – the
protection of the public – tenfold.
It’s the way it ought to be.
There are few who are willing to do
what these brave men and women do – enter a burning house or commercial
structure, even when equipped and suited to do so, to rescue a person or to
minimize loss.
The odds of coming out alive diminish
with each passing second that a fire breathes.
The nation sees what amounts to an
impassioned commitment to duty by firefighters from coast to coast day after
day.
It witnessed it back in June when a
large sofa store caught fire in Charleston and claimed the lives of nine
seasoned firefighters.
Now, with available technology and
know-how, firefighters in Glynn County are going even more beyond the call of
duty.
They are rescuing and resuscitating
pets overcome by smoke when they enter burning homes.
They did this several times just
recently in fact, once in Sterling and again in College Park.
In Sterling, firefighters rescued a
Labrador retriever and a kitten. In College Park, they rescued three animals – a
cat and two dogs. In each case, they revived these family pets by administering
CPR.
It may not be or sound as dramatic as
the daring rescue of an individual, but, rest assured, it is to the individual
or family who would have otherwise lost a significant part of itself.
To many people, dogs and cats are an
important addition to their lives or to the group.
To many, in fact, they are all they
have.
Firefighters understand this. Because
they do, they do what they can to save pets.
They understand what it is like to
lose a home and all possessions. All have seen it more than once in their
careers.
The impact it has on a person or
family can be devastating. Anything lost to fire is lost forever.
Kudos to the fire departments and to
the firefighters who go the extra mile to spare a person or family for the loss
of a close and an invaluable friend.
