LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As fire season approaches, when the grass turns from green to gold and wildfire threatens, we are thankful for the protection we receive from our local, state and federal fire agencies.

We appreciate the efforts they make to save our homes and lives – we know how lucky we are to have such highly trained men and women fighting these fires.

We watch the air tankers in fascination, wave at the helicopters and paint signs to give thanks to our firefighters.

What we seldom see, however, is an appreciation for the services our fire protection districts provide that save lives on a daily basis.

No matter what the season, each day somewhere in Lake County, someone may owe their life to the men and women from our local fire districts and the emergency medical treatment they provide.

As with most things that run smoothly, we’ve come to take those services for granted and really don’t give it much thought. It’s time we stopped and thought about how fortunate we are to have their help.

When private ambulance companies abandoned Lake County in 2004, our fire services were asked to fill the need. In times of need, like they always do, they stepped forward to answer that call for help.

At that time, private companies had two, sometimes three, operable ambulances in the county. Our fire districts now have a fleet of 26 ambulances, with 10 of them staffed at all times. How’s that for answering the call?

The Lake County Fire Chiefs Association and the local fire districts invested time, training and financial resources to provide us with emergency medical services, and they did it without a tax increase to property owners.

Along with fire protection, the Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lake County, Northshore and South Lake Fire Protection districts all work together and continue to make the investment to provide emergency medical technicians, paramedics and ambulance service to the county. Lucky for us!

In 2014, they answered almost 12,000 calls for 9-1-1 service. With only 365 days in the year, it isn’t difficult to recognize the daily need for their services and the thanks we owe them.

In addition to responding to medical emergencies, when a patient requires a service and/or procedure that our local hospitals can’t fulfill, then the fire districts’ ambulance services provide Inter-facility transfers and take us where we need to go. 

When you need to travel to an unfamiliar medical facility, it can be very reassuring to travel with someone “from home.” 

Behind the scenes, as with fighting fire, the response to medical emergencies by our fire protection districts is choreographed and coordinated with other agencies and air ambulance services for the county. You see a locally coordinated response to the local problem.

When you see a car wreck, a car in the lake or someone trapped in a vehicle, in addition to law enforcement you will see fire district personnel and their equipment at the scene.

When your neighbor has a heart attack or falls and breaks a leg, the fire departments respond to their 9-1-1 call.

When a meth lab or honey-oil lab blows, your fire departments are there with the right equipment. They fight the fire and protect the environment.

Because of the investment the Lake County Fire Chiefs Association and the fire protection districts have made in our communities, many of us owe our lives and well being to their quick response, dedication, training and professional care.

It takes a special person to provide those services; the tragedy they see throughout their careers requires a dedication that most of us don’t possess. The constant fluctuation in adrenalin levels often puts their own health at risk.

At the end of their shift, however, they continue to invest their time and energies to our schools and communities.

You’re apt to see them at a school’s basketball game, coaching Little League or working at a fundraising event to help a sick child.

Like the rest of us, most live in Lake County; their children attend our schools and their families shop at local businesses. They are truly invested in our communities.

As residents of Lake County, let us hope our fire districts will continue to have the support from the county, communities and hospitals they serve, so they’ll be able to maintain their current levels of service. Without them, our lives would not be the same.

Whether it’s a fire or a medical emergency, we count on them to do it all! 

Linda Juntunen is a member of the Lake County Fire Chiefs Association and the Lake County Fire Safe Council.