How can you help?

I would like to thank all our fire fighters. My daughters are married to volunteer fire fighters who live in Waterville, and I know what they go through. So with that said, I believe this is a great time to stop and think — how can I help?

We can donate to our LOCAL units, encourage our young men and women to volunteer with the EMTs or fire fighters or Red Cross locally, or just community service. They are more help to us trained than untrained.

Other communities have flooding and the youth bag sand, deliver food to those on the line, or help with the animals. It doesn’t matter, but if they know where to go and what to do, that is a big time saver.

Retired and need sometning to do? Disabled and tired of being home, getting worse from sitting home? Graduated and just begining your life? Why not help the elderly or volunteer?

This all leads me to an idea for our community preparedness. Come October, the Coulee Medical Center Guild would like to help you get a head start on how to be prepared for most emergencies — fire, wind, snow and cold, power outages for longer than a few hours. We hope to have lists, plans, backpack items, bucket list. NO, not that bucket list. A food and medicine list. What is really important to gather? Whom to call (or text)? I understand in our last fire texting went through better that phone service.

Please keep and eye on the paper for more information.

Hopefully, our schools will follow our lead and educate our children for emergencies too. Or have them help us help you.

Our guild is separate from the hospital, so please don’t call them, just watch the paper and we will let you know more information.

Thanks again to you brave fire fighters and those who help with command centers and preparing food for hungry fire fighters.

Patty Taylor