Businesses and fire protection are two important services in any community.

Over the next two weeks, both of those valuable aspects of a community are being celebrated.

National Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 8-14, Small Business Week will be celebrated Oct. 15-21. Take time to thank local firefighters and local small businesses for their service and everything they do to make life better for residents and the community a better place to live.

Wildfires and the cost of living and inflation have been front and centre of news reports and the top of everyone’s minds this year.

Many people in local regions were affected by wildfires. Several people lost their homes and possessions inside.

Many firefighters worked tirelessly from early May when wildfires started in many regions across northern Alberta and continued well into the summer.

Every municipality has a fire department that counts on volunteers to be ready for the call – whenever the call comes in. Serving as volunteers for a fire department is quite different from volunteering for other community organizations. Volunteer firefighters have to be well-trained to be skilled and equipped to work in emergency and disaster situations. They are trained to respond to a wide range of incidents, which include buildings on fire, motor vehicle crashes, spills of hazardous materials and wildland fires or wildfires.

Firefighters are also called to serve as first responders with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and assist STARS air ambulance landings.

Firefighters are ready to answer the call at any time of the day and night. They sacrifice their time away from work, family and social life.

Firefighters sometimes see very traumatic situations that can take a long time to recover from.

In a small community where somebody on the call is bound to know a victim, it becomes very difficult at times.

Firefighters have a special heart.

Thank you, firefighters!

Small businesses are the economic backbone of a community of any size, rural and urban. When people shop and buy at local businesses, it goes a long way to building and sustaining a community and/or a municipality.

Businesses are a large base that pay taxes to support recreational and cultural facilities, libraries, streets and sidewalks, water and sewer, and other services.

Many businesses support local organizations, events and projects.

Support local businesses just as businesses support local organizations.

Hhop at hometown businesses and keep the local economy going and growing.

Thank you, small businesses!

Richard Froese

This item copyrighted by   AlbertaChat.com / South Peace News   High Prairie, Alberta

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