Tragedy in Upstate NY



Fire burns on Lake Road in Webster NY
Photo courtesty of:
 REUTERS/WHEC/Christine VanTimmeren

 December 24th - Christmas Eve.  As if the events in Newtown CT a few weeks ago weren't bad enough, today we have received news from Reuters (click here) and CBS News (click here) that two Webster NY (suburb of Rochester) volunteer firefighters have been killed and two more wounded as they responded to the scene of "several house fires".  Very sad news indeed.  No additional information is available at this time regarding the incident or the names and ages of the firefighters.  Nonetheless, such news is sad anytime of the year and all the worse at Christmastime.  I suppose there are lessons to be learned here as well.  Although our job, at its core is to help people, there are those who would rather we not intervene in their destructive behaviors.  We should be all the more diligent as we respond - keeping a careful eye out for the safety of "number 1" - ourselves and our fellow brother firefighters.  Lets be careful not to get tunnel vision and consider the facts as we are enroute (all part of scene size-up!).  Be safe out there!  Webster firefighters - we mourn with you.