The routine of the Marshalltown Fire Department appears to be pretty standard - responding to medical calls, smoke detector activations and alarm systems.
However, this is just at a glance. When you think about it, the 28-members of our fire personnel give an invaluable service to our community.
Just being part of the fire crew itself demands a unique lifestyle. Most of us can't fathom working 24 hours on and then 48 hours off, let alone incurring the demands of this type of work.
Article Photos
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY DOUG ALLEN
In 2009, the department responded to more than 2,150 calls, with emergency medical services accounting for 77 percent of the calls.
The diligence and pure hours of time our firefighters spend to make sure our community is safe, is something many of us take for granted.
In the past month, the community has witnessed three significant house fires that displaced several families.
Because of the department's quick response, all families were kept safe. In one such house fire a crew spent the entire night checking for hot spots, while other members were on scene for more than six hours.
It's times like these that we should have gratitude for our firefighters who are well-trained and prepared to think fast on their feet in a number of different situations.
We aren't without a number of everyday heroes in Marshalltown - many of whom work for our fire department.