Firefighters Deserve our Thanks

Firefighters deserve our thanks

With the end of fire season finally approaching, I want to take this opportunity to thank the fire departments across South Dakota for keeping our state safe throughout this year's extremely active fire season.

As you know, hundreds of fires, large and small, popped up across the state all summer long. Our firefighters logged long hours and battled wildfires in harsh conditions to keep us and our property safe.

Please join me in thanking the firefighters for a job well done. Many of them are volunteers who took time away from their families, their jobs and their lives to keep South Dakota safe. For all their hard work, they only receive the satisfaction of the job and the thanks we provide.

We also need to recognize and thank the employers of our volunteer firefighters who allow their employees to leave the job site and respond to the fire page or siren. Without our employers' selfless sense of pride in their community and state, we would not have the professional volunteer fire departments we have across this state. Our thanks and gratitude go out to the business community of South Dakota!

Although the fire season is slowing down, we are not completely out of the woods. Please continue to act responsibly. Don't throw lit cigarettes or other burning material on the ground and abide by the burn bans your communities and counties may have in place. Together, we can keep South Dakota safe and give South Dakota firefighters a much needed break.

M. Michael Rounds
Governor of South Dakota

http://www.state.sd.us/governor/