Thanks to local emergency services

Every time we hear a siren or see flashing lights whiz by, there’s a good possibility someone is in peril.

And while we sit back — mostly with relief when we see the fire engine didn’t turn toward our house or down our grandmother’s road — police, fire and other emergency personnel charge ahead.

Any hour of the day, to the farthest reaches of the county, bad things can and do happen. Help is needed and help arrives, thanks to the men and women of our many local emergency units.

Some of these folks are professionals, while others are volunteers, but they are all highly trained and brave to the call of danger.

Whatever their title — officer, trooper, deputy, firefighter, EMT — our local public safety personnel are called every day to the scene of crimes, accidents and other unhappiness. It can be an ugly and dangerous scene, but respond they do — swiftly and adroitly.

Much of what these people do goes unnoticed, including many hours of training. They also spend important time on prevention, hoping to reduce the incidents of fire and crime.

We take this opportunity to thank them for their service to the community. We live in a better, safer place because of their efforts. As they stand watch, we can continue our daily lives knowing help is just a simple call away.

So, the next time you see one of these local heroes, say “thanks,” and as you continue on don’t forget to buckle up, slow down, wear a life jacket, keep the gun on safety and don’t play with matches — prevention starts with you.