PENALTY SHOTS: Luck doesn't last forever
I had a dangerous thought recently.
That thought was we've been lucky. All the residential fire calls I've attended in the almost three years (anniversary was Saturday) I've been in Chester have been situations where the occupants of the structure were not home at the time of the fire, got out safely at the time of the fire or the structure was abandoned/unoccupied.
Luck doesn't last forever. So I implore all of you, check your smoke detectors. Invest in a fire extinguisher.
Do not overload your power strips. Keep flammable materials away from heat sources and if you use candles, keep them in a sturdy holder and dose them at night or if you are away from the residence.
Of course, accidents still happen and there's things you can't predict or prepare for. But if we do the little things right, we'll keep that streak going.
The old adage is, of course, that material possessions can be replaced, lives can't.
There's a lot to credit, I think, for the lack of fatal fires in our region. Quick response times, quality training and a strong public relations/fire safety effort combine to create a higher survival probability for fires.
In Chester, it starts young with the department's "Fire Prevention Month" in October. Hundreds of the city's children take a tour through the firehouse, learn not to fear a firefighter and develop proper escape procedures should a fire occur in their home.
The Chester firefighters seem to have as much fun during these sessions as the children themselves. After all, firefighters are heroes in the eyes of many and there is a certain fraternity of those who dedicate their lives to the service.
And it's a dangerous business. No two calls are the same and whether it's auto extrication or a house fire, it affects all first responders in some way.
Let's all be aware that the Chester Fire Department is still hurting from the loss of James Brockmeyer. I see many regional media reports that solely focus on Brockmeyer's career as a police officer and don't include the fact he was a firefighter too.
He served both agencies faithfully and history should remember that. I'm not making media bias here either.
If he had passed on a fire call, I would be fighting just as much for his CPD service to be honored. Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert will never say something - that's not the firefighter way - but both ends of the spectrum should be recognized in some way.
The mess with the Illinois State Board of Education and Brockmeyer's funeral services doesn't make it any easier either. Another black eye for state bureaucracy.
Every so often we are reminded of the differences between us and them. Chicago and Cairo, Springfield and Southern Illinois.
The community, I feel, has done a tremendous job of showing respect and honor to a brave civil servant.
Too bad the state can't figure that out.