What makes one person so much different than everybody else. This a pic from a training fire that our dept. and several others did.

Most people see abunch of smoke and head for the exits,add flames and they "grab another gear". Others see smokeand flames and they're frozen in place.

And then you have The Brotherhood that "Dances where the devil plays", of course I mean firefighters. Women and men who have dedicated their lives to risking their own to save others.

Whether entering a flaming structure to see if anyone was left behind or standing in the middle of a busy road to redirect traffic at a wreck, getting out of bed and leaving their loved ones to go help friends and strangers both,many times at the worst times of their lives.

What makes a person do this? DEDICATION. Because they have chosen to help their community and without exception all those in it.

These men and women live and unfortunately die by the words HONOR, PRIDE and INTEGRITY.

They are called HEROS by those inthe general population and given awards and honors for bravery and heroism even sometimes posthumously, but ask them and they would give it all up to have saved that one casualty or for the event to have never occured.

Firefighting isn't just a job, it is a PASSION, all consuming.

So to all my sisters and brothers,from a brother, only two words,

THANK YOU !

James R. Benfield

SIVFD 1246