Fire and Explosion At Texas Fertilizer Plant Kills 10 Emergency Responders

News reports from the small town of West, Texas (Population 2,800) confirmed that five volunteer fire personnel, four volunteer medical personnel and a professional fire fighter from an urban city lost their lives when they responded to a fertilizer plant fire in their town. These volunteers knew they were "running towards" an extremely dangerous situation when they responded to the call out. A recent consultant's study evaluating Emergency Services in Washington Township (Morris County), showed that a large number of municipalities in the United States depend on all volunteer departments for Fire and First Aid protection. Letters to the Editor and blog comments often question whether the cost of equipping, training and maintaining volunteer emergency service units is money well spent when there is a low incidence of house or business fires. I am sure that those questions probably were raised in that small Texas town too. Apparently the volunteers did not stop to question whether it was worth the risk to respond to a fire that threatened their town. Perhaps we should all think about what our volunteers risk when they answer a call out. Is it a "minor gas leak" or a damaged gas main? A small house fire or one where the roof may collapse? A fender bender or a car ready to have the gas tank explode? Be thankful for all those who serve, even in a safe small town like ours.