Hats off to emergency workers

We have recently been enjoying some real Minnesota winter for a change. Some welcome the snow and look forward to winter sports. Others complain about the inconvenience of having to travel when conditions are less than ideal. But, before we complain too much, we should take a moment to remember the emergency workers who have no choice about working under those conditions. For us, the extra time it takes to get around is a bother. For them, it can be a matter of life and death when they have to get to a patient and bring him to the hospital. It can mean saving a family’s home when the fire department gets called out to extinguish a fire. Their job can be difficult enough under good weather conditions, when they have to contend with challenges such as motorists who fail to yield the right-of-way. But, when traffic is reduced to gridlock, visibility is reduced to next to nothing, and road conditions are treacherous, they are still out there doing their job. We owe these men and women a lot. Day or night, good weather or bad, they put their safety and comfort at risk to protect ours. Whether they are police, first responders, paramedics, ambulance drivers, firefighers, or anyone else that we count on in emergency situations, they deserve our respect and our thanks.