I was at a reception last week when I overheard some individuals talking about the Matts Creek fire, and mentioned to them that the Bedford county Sheriff's Office had to help with some aspects of the fire. The response was "Oh, what did they do?"
The sheriff's deputies proactively canvassed the area to determine which houses were occupied from those that were not in case a sudden evacuation was needed. The Sheriff's Office also made arrangements for other farmers in the area to bring livestock haulers in case livestock needed to be removed from the fire zone. and finally, the deputies also made sure the roads were free of "gawkers" so that essential equipment could be moved into the area if need be.
We often don't think about our law enforcement personnel unless we see them with someone pulled over beside the road, or speeding to a traffic accident or possible domestic violence situation. Or maybe it's the officer involved shooting that unfortunately occurred in Roanoke recently.
They are forgotten unless you pull up to your church and find a note that Deputy J. Smith checked your building at 11:35 pm yesterday, or get a call at 2:30 in the morning saying" This is Officer John Doe. I found the back door to your business ajar; do you want to come over or should I secure the premises?"
We recently just finished the Thanksgiving season and as we are now approaching Christmas we often hear the phrase of "peace on earth, goodwill to all men". Maybe during this time of year, or better yet, throughout the year, we should give a word of thanks and good will to those men and women who protect us all through the year.
