I want to express gratitude to the Salkum Fire Department and Chief Duran McDaniel.
This crew is staffed almost entirely with volunteers and we rely heavily on them for all manner of emergencies. They always, always show up, no matter what.
Every summer, our area sees every manner of accident, medical emergency and fire outbreak. We continually deal with less than intelligent people who think because they are not in the city and out in the country that every fire they set is a welcome addition to our community.
This Fourth of July was especially taxing on the Salkum crew.
Thanks to our Salkum Fire Department, none of us have had to evacuate our homes or lose livestock, or worse, our lives. They have responded with speed and an impeccable work ethic to every fire and every emergency.
I think the chief, his wife and some crew members probably averaged about 12 hours of sleep for the whole week of the Fourth of July. The next time you rely on any volunteer crew in your community, make sure to ask them first what their politics are before you allow them to help you because of course those are the things that matter most in life.
Or maybe just realize what is actually important is people helping people and be thankful that you live in a community of people who care and give of themselves constantly without question of any kind of a qualifier based on political affiliation, religion or any kind of asinine, self-important life philosophy.
They just show up.
We are all lucky to have them and they should not be taken for granted. Thank you to all volunteers.
Sona Markholt
Mossyrock
