Unsung Heroes: The Courageous Work of First Responders

All around the world, during a moment of crisis, we usually look forward to having someone come through to help us salvage the moment, and one of such are our first responders, like fire fighters, who are like knights in shining armor. Through the years, this group of people has helped avert some life- and property-threatening incidents that would have overwhelmed us, and we can't help but appreciate them for their swiftness in risking their lives to save ours.

First responders are like superhumans among us, and that's attributed to them because of their courage and resilience in the face of life-threatening issues. Basically, in every country, when crises erupt, people run as far away as possible from them, but the reverse is the case for first responders, like fire fighters, who you'll always see running towards such danger just so they can save those in distress from danger. Their dedication and commitment are mind-blowing and worthy of emulation, and I kind of see them as one of the few heartwarming acts of humanity that still exist in our world today.

Aside from the one my article focuses on today, we've got loads of first responders around the world, and here in my community, they go the extra mile in helping us avert or curb crises depending on the current conditions, and some of the other first responders are listed below:

• Police Officers
• Search and Rescue Teams
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics
• Hazmat Teams
• Emergency Dispatchers
• Emergency Room Staff
• Firefighters and several others, to mention but a few.

In my country, we've got all of this unit, and although they might be playing their role diligently, I've only had more encounters with police, fire fighters, and emergency dispatchers. My experience with the police hasn't been pleasant, despite the fact that I've had more encounters with them than any other first responder in my country.

But as I don't really want to paint them or my country black, I'll just focus on the good aspects, which is the fire service department. I can remember when I was much younger, when we resided in Kwara State, Nigeria, and one night while searching for our hen, my brother and I mistakenly set up a fire on the stepcase of the house we live in. At first, the fire was small, and rather than calling an adult to help us quench it, instead we went inside to get water in a small bowl to quench the fire. Due to our sluggishness, the fire escalated, becoming more wild and noticeable to everyone.

Luckily, someone called the emergency line to notify the firefighters, and even before they came around, our fellow tenant in the building and other neighbors in our street put in every effort to quench the fire. By the time the fire service men came around, they swiftly went inside the building, delved into places others were afraid to go, and before you knew it, with their courage, resilience, and dedication to saving lives and property, within 30 minutes, the fire had been quenched, and people were able to go in to see what was left of their properties placed in the space under the stepcase.

That very incident that day made me respect and cherish our first responders, like fire fighters, because had they not come on time and been courageous enough to go into critical places, then the fire would have consumed everything, including the properties and the house as a whole, which would have cost my dad a lot and probably affected his health.

This I said because, after the incident and the curbing measures by the fire fighters, the landlord of our house called a tenant meeting, and my dad was charged with the responsibility of repairing the damaged part of the building as well as paying for the restoration of some properties of other tenants affected. All of those moments were difficult and challenging for my dad, but still, I'm grateful because it would have been worse had there been no first responders and the fire consumed everything.

I'm grateful for their impact, and in conclusion, I must say that the first responders, especially fire fighters, are, according to me, our heroes and knights in shining the armor of our community, because their bravery, unwavering commitment, and selflessness continuously help us as a community to salvage many crises that would have consumed us.

Although I won't say they're well equipped, as there is some protective gear that would have helped save their lives and prevent them from getting burned by fire, they're performing exceptionally well with the little they've got, so shout-out to them, and I hope everyone around us should emulate their act and support them in any possible ways to make our community peaceful for everyone.

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This is my entry for the day 3 of the #mayinleo prompt of the INLeo initiative, if you'd love to participate, you can read days about it in the announcement post.

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Thanks so much for your time. Have a wonderful day ahead and stay blessed.

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