Volunteer Firefighters take the heat for service and love

Volunteer firefighters have been at the heart of the heat since fire was discovered by man. Volunteering to be a firefighter isn't the norm in just Wyoming. Volunteering is the norm across the United States. If volunteering for fighting fires has been with us through history then why are we at a near-crisis in Wyoming when it comes to firefighters? The crisis is because of the lack of people volunteering. We just don't have enough numbers coming out to donate their time and energy.

Departments across the state are struggling to keep numbers at a level that can safely handle fire and rescue situations that occur. And the scary thing is that majority of residents across the great state of Wyoming, whether in the county or in a municipality, depend on those volunteers to turn out when there is a crisis involving fire in the home or in the fields or forests. And it's not just fires. Many, many areas of the state have non-fire emergencies covered in one way or another by volunteer firefighters. Rollovers, semi-wrecks, lost child, hay fires, hazardous spill, smoke in a school, burning-wire smell, traffic control and the list goes on and on. 9-1-1 is dialed and the fireman respond. After all, who else you gonna call?

What can we do to prevent a catastrophe from happening? Nothing. Catastrophes are going to happen regardless of the planning that may occur. We may avoid some and reduce others but regardless, we will always have catastrophes. What can we AS PEOPLE do to not add additional catastrophic elements? We can be prepared. That includes knowledge of potential catastrophic events (are you in an earthquake prone area?) and it includes self-sufficiency. It also includes training to be a volunteer emergency worker like CERT, BEC, EMT, or firefighter. Wyoming needs volunteers, but not just last-minute-it's-an-emergency-what-can-I-do? volunteer. Those kind are dangerous because they are not trained.

Wyoming needs people to find a time to donate back to their community that gives so much. Although wrecks may seem to be from crazy tourists who don't understand our weather or animal conditions, and that may well be the case, they still need to be attended to. It could be us in another area or state and we would certainly hope that trained help was nearby. Is it hard to find time? Yes it is, certainly it is. There are many, many demands on time. We need jobs. We must not neglect our families. Children need to be tucked in at night. Yes, yes. But, we must not forget how vital emergency services are and that volunteering to provide those services are how it gets done in Wyoming. As you tuck your child in and turn off the lights, think of what will happen if that cozy scene is surrounded by flames at 2am? Who is going to come to your home?

How can we get involved? Call your local fire department. Yes, at one time there was a waiting list to get on departments. Equipment is expensive and therefore limited. Waiting lists are very uncommon today although most departments have a limit on total members due to equipment. Yes, there were good-ol-boy clubs. Yes, there were bars in the fire halls and some were known, even in the not too distant past, for their fraternity atmospheres. If you have a department like that where you live, stand up and help change it into acting like the vital service it is. That alone may be the toughest challenge. Keep in mind that departments with these type of severe internal problems are the minority. Join with a buddy. Attend your meetings and trainings. Sometimes calls for service are months apart. Sometimes they are mere hours. You just never know in Wyoming. One thing, however, is known and that is that volunteers are needed and they are needed in a bad way.

Best Wyoming Blog

Today I start on my newest adventure, "WyomingFlavor", a blog. I hope to get it to join the ranks of the best Wyoming Blogs! I've looked and haven't found a huge number of other Wyoming Blogs. Maybe I can add a little more information to what is out there.

I've been in Wyoming 13+ years, married to my Wyoming boy. One thing I have often thought is that it would be fun and informative to receive a state-wide magazine that highlights the all of Wyoming. It could include various awards won across the state, what grants were earned for interesting or different projects, books published, new appointees to councils, Wyoming people or events in the news.

Well, there isn't such a magazine and no, the Casper Star Tribune does not qualify. Wyoming is unique among states in that it is like one big spread out town with a bunch of different neighborhoods. Not all neighborhoods are equal and they don't all have the same resources. A state magazine would help Wyomingites feel connected. It would provide equal access to information about resources. This magazine could be distributed to every mail address in Wyoming, with the state agencies equally sharing in expenses. Advertisers are also an option. It will be a very long time before Wyoming changes enough that it doesn't feel like it could just be one big town.

Since we don't have a Wyoming Magazine, I'll try blogging some of the information as an experiment. Why not a Wyoming Blog? What will I cover? I will cover information beneficial to the residents of Wyoming or anyone interested in Wyoming. This is not a tourism blog, it is not an economic development blog. This is for the people who make Wyoming their home or are a "Wyoming Wannabe".

Like others, I have had quite the Wyoming experiences, some worth remembering, others worth learning from and not repeating. They cover everything from being a wife and mom,to two-term mayor, volunteer firefighter, community correspondent, free-lance writer, community volunteer, amateur photographer, self-taught historian, struggling gardener. Experiences are what makes life interesting. I'm 36 years old and have found that experiences I've made for myself or found myself in are really what gives spice to life.

I have no political affiliation yet, (I did register Republican once, my candidate lost, I unregistered), but I enjoy politics (and I am frustrated by them when rules are carelessly discarded and people are treated poorly) and many of my friends think I'm a "registered Democrat" and love to argue "stuff" with me. Whatever. It keeps conversations interesting.

Wyoming is easy to misunderstand. Wyoming can offend. Wyoming is hard to get to know. Yet Wyoming offers many opportunities, but you have to go looking for them. Really looking. Wyoming needs good people to look after her. Wyoming needs good people to get involved. I consider myself a good person and I'm passionate about Wyoming and I'm filled with a desire for Wyoming people to be involved, be educated, and have fun. I'll try to accomplish all of that with this Wyoming website, my wyomingflavor blog.

This blog is called "Wyoming Flavor" for absolutely no reason except the name was available. (I did call it Live Wyoming for a day but couldn't decide if I wanted it short or long "i" sound so...