Sunday, October 25, 2015

A Short Tribute to Firefighters



It’s been a rough fire season for firefighters. The public is being reminded that volunteers are always needed and welcomed. There just weren’t enough trained professionals to go around this year. Thanks to everyone who saved lives and property this year, even when they had to sacrifice their own life and belongings to achieve it for others.





Looking at some of the older pictures of firefighters in Wikimedia Commons reminds me that there are always community-spirited people to pick up the challenge and protect property and lives. I also got a kick out of seeing the kids who got into this picture, taken of firefighters in Carson City, Nevada around 1860. I wanted to be a fireman when I was a kid, although women weren’t eligible yet. 





The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) fights a wildfire in Oregon in 2013.
 













Protective clothing prevents burns from sparks as water is laid down to abolish the chance of flare-ups.









The US Navy dispatched firefighters to a brush fire near Chania International Airport in Crete, Greece (2008). This man makes it looks so easy to handle the hose and nozzle. I’ve seen those wicked pieces of equipment turn into wild snakes spraying water over everyone and everything if someone other than a professional decides to try it out.

Photo by El Panters

 

There are monuments to firefighters around the world. This tribute is to firemen who lost their lives in the mountains near Grazalema, Spain.


















Douglas Green took this shot of a Gainesville (Florida) City Fire Truck in 2005. 


During rainy or snowy days when the kids can’t get outside to play, open up Wikimedia Commons and let them scroll through the thousands of pictures of fire trucks, It’ll keep them entertained and either satisfy or inspire their inner firefighter.