WE all owe a debt of gratitude to those who run towards the dangers the rest of us run from.
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As temperatures again hit the high 30s across the Mid-Western region this week, most of us were doing whatever we could to keep cool.
But those same high temperatures, pushed on by strong winds, also fanned the flames of a number of bushfires that have been burning for over a now.
So instead of retreating to an air-conditioned home or office, scores of RFS volunteers and firefighters drove determinedly towards the firezone.
Instead of fleeing the heat, they attacked it.
Those men and women intentionally put themselves in an environment that was as terribly dangerous as it was terribly uncomfortable, all the sake of protecting the property of others.
It has been a scene repeated countless times across our state these past few weeks and as this heatwave continues, we all know there will be more to come.
At the same time as those firefighters were battling the blaze not far from the Mid-Western, a cyclonic storm hit with wind gusts of up to 130 kms per hour on Wednesday.
SES, Police and Council workers started receiving mass reports of damage – including trees being uprooted and power lines down.
Again, the human instinct is to flee but, again, these special people instead sped towards the scene.
Instead of hiding from the storm, they head out into extreme conditions to keep us safe.
They may have just been doing their jobs, but they are jobs few of us would take on.
The stark reality for all emergency workers is that they do not know what each day may hold.
They could find themselves battling a bushfire, or cleaning up after what is being described as a “mini tornado”.
They might be called to the scene of a terrible road crash, or asked to deliver the tragic news to another family that their loved one won’t be coming home.
These realities make the emergency services more than just a job. Such occupations are a way of life – a life that only those involved can properly appreciate.
The rest of us can only offer our thanks and respect for the work that they do, knowing that there will always be more to do tomorrow.