The aftermath of the Sept. 11 tragedies has given many Americans renewed respect for the men and women who put themselves in harm's way to help citizens in trouble. The respect is so genuine that firefighters have been honored above players at professional sporting events, and this fall on the East Coast there's no more golden political endorsement than that of local police or firefighter organizations. It's about time.
Emergency workers deserve all the respect they can get.
Their work is hard, they're not rewarded especially handsomely, and often, they really are willing to sacrifice their own wellbeing for that of people they've never even met. And to be well-trained, they need to practice in realistic emergency situations. The current training facility, located off Lee Hill Road, is inadequate for many reasons. If you know any firefighters, they'll tell you there is no substitute for live-fire training. Although some neighbors have grumbled, we think they're oversensitive.