Thanks for Being a Santa to Your Communities

On par with nationwide tradition, a recent holiday parade in the wonderful community of New Smyrna Beach, Florida ended with a colorful visit from Santa Claus. The excitement on the children's faces was remarkable. The sense of quiet appreciation on the faces of the adults was also noticeable. Perhaps the greatest sense of joy was present in Santa's response to his community. Santa filled a critical role of bringing holiday excitement in New Smryna Beach to its highest levels. As I reflected on this tradition and Santa's ever-present role in the holidays, I started thinking about the similarities to the Fire Service.

Firefighters across the country serve quietly and without expectation of recognition. Every firefighter I've ever talked to has taken great joy in their opportunity to serve. They are quick to say they get more out of the experience than the people they serve. They cite the meaning of the chance to help and the adrenaline rush that comes with the pager call as two of many reasons they enjoy being firefighters.

Communities across the country benefit throughout the year from the Santa-like service of firefighters. As dependable as Santa's presence at the end of every holiday parade, firefighters are there every time the pager calls. Firefighters respond whether it's the middle of family dinner or the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. Firefighters meet critical community needs by being an automatic part of what happens when someone dials 911. This automatic response brightens the community and the children and adults who are a part of it. The greatest joy this brings may be to the firefighters themselves.

Filling this need so naturally and joyfully makes firefighters "Santas" of sort in their communities. Thanks to every Fire Service member nationwide for being as much a dependable and critical part of life in your communities as Santa is to the end of every holiday parade!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from FlashPoint Fundraising!

Volunteer Firefighters: Treasures to be Cherished!

Iowa Public Television's Market to Market recently featured a great program on the tremendous impact of volunteer firefighters. You can view the whole program here.

Although the program focuses on volunteer fire fighters in South Dakota, the story is quite similar in our great state of Iowa and across the country. As the program explains, the calls to leave a warm bed in all kinds of weather just begin to explain "hundreds of hours of training and days of dropping projects at the office" that volunteer firefighters face.

In an era where commuting patterns, family size and activity competition have all changed, developing the core volunteer base of firefighters, who make up 72 percent of the nation's ranks (according to the National Fire Protection Association), is becoming an even bigger challenge.

The fire chief in Beresford, South Dakota said it best. The people who are able to be volunteer firefighters are gifts "to cherish."

In the program, Russ Heggen, a volunteer firefighter in Canton, South Dakota said, "If you want to have a good town to live in, you have to give something to it."

Are you interested in a unparalleled opportunity to train, learn, respond to emergencies and protect your good town? Stop by your local volunteer fire department and ask for more information. You are needed now more than ever!