WE all owe a debt of gratitude to those who run towards the dangers the rest of us run from.
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As temperatures again hit the high 30s across the Bathutst region on Wednesday, most of us were doing whatever we could to keep cool.
But those same high temperatures, pushed on by strong winds, also fanned the flames of a bushfire near Guyong that has been burning out of control for the best part of two days now.
So instead of retreating to an air-conditioned home or office, scores of Rural Fire Service volunteers and firefighters drove determinedly towards the firezone.
Instead of fleeing the heat, they attacked it.
Those men and women intentionally put themselves in an environment that was as terribly dangerous as it was terribly uncomfortable, all the sake of protecting the property of others.
It has been a scene repeated countless times across our state these past few weeks and as this heatwave continues, we all know there will be more to come.
At the same time as those firefighters were battling the blaze north-west of Bathurst, a call came through to police about a dangerous incident unfolding near Blayney.
Officers received the report of an armed home invasion and that the suspect remained on the loose in a stolen car.
Again, the human instinct is to flee such danger but, again, police officers instead sped towards the scene.
Instead of hiding from the armed man, they actively sought him out.
The police and firies may have just been doing their jobs, but they are jobs few of us would take on.
The stark reality for all emergency workers is that they do not know what each day may hold.
They could find themselves battling an out-of-control bushfire in searing temperatures, or hunting down a dangerous man.
They might be called to the scene of a terrible road crash, or asked to deliver the tragic news to another family that their loved one won’t be coming home.
These realities make the emergency services more than just a job. Such occupations are a way of life – a life that only those involved can properly appreciate.
The rest of us can only offer our thanks and respect for the work that they do, knowing that there will always be more to do tomorrow.