Of pancakes and fire trucks

The pancake-breakfast fundraiser at our local fire station has become a biannual ritual, and not just because of the great deal on the filling food.

As soon as the small person in my life catches sight of the uber-sized ladder truck parked outside the station, the excitement level in the car goes through the roof. He could spend the entire day checking out the trucks and other equipment and still be ready for more.

Best of all are the people who make that station work, not just during pancake breakfasts but day in and day out -- and all through the night. Most of those people are volunteers, and their devotion to their work is palpable. You can see the pride in their faces as they show off the latest piece of firefighting equipment -- even when the audience of the moment is made up largely of little kids.

I grew up in a small city with an all-professional fire department. When I first moved to upstate New York I was surprised at how many of the fire departments were staffed by volunteers. And, I admit, I was a little uncomfortable with the idea. Not anymore. And not just because they make some mean pancakes.

Thanks to every one of them for helping to keep my family, my community, safe.