“Thank you.” The power of those words is often too easily forgotten. However, when used to convey gratitude for the lifesaving actions of firefighters, that power becomes clear. Same as it is when it comes from the family of a firefighter who has been injured or lost after the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (WFF) steps in to help. It’s a power that can prompt an emotional response from all sides.
“We had three firetrucks in our driveway for two months. They stayed with us and protected us. We’re very, very appreciative of the firefighters,” says a man deeply affected by his experience living on the frontlines of a wildfire. Another man stares down into the camera in the above video, his brow knitted as the scale of what he could have lost sinks in. “You helped save my family’s house.” And a woman recalls her experience with an out-of-control wildfire and how smoke started to fill her lungs and sting her eyes. Luckily wildland firefighters came to her rescue.
These messages are a reminder of the very real human impact that smokejumpers, Hotshots, pilots, support staff, and others within the wildland firefighting community like the WFF have on the people they’re fighting to protect. To learn more and see more expressions of gratitude, click the above video for the latest episode in our Warriors Of The West series.
Coors Banquet is in its sixth year of supporting the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, donating over $1.5 million dollars to the foundation. Click the donate button on this page if you’d like to help protect our west by supporting the WFF.
