When most of us think of fire and rescue services, it’s easy to pull up mental images of heroism, selflessness, courage, bravery, and compassion. Our Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue team, led by Chief Chris Blankenship, fits within this imagery quite well.
What you might not always think or know about, though, is the variety of ways they give back to our community when there isn’t an emergency medical call or a fire to put out. This incredible group of individuals makes it a priority to learn and implement modern fire and rescue innovations to keep us all as safe as possible. They work equally as hard to prevent catastrophes in our homes; inspire the next generation of fire, rescue, and health care professionals; and lift our community up through special programs.
For example, Fire Prevention Week will kick off this year with a free pancake breakfast and educational event open to the public at Fire Station No. 4 on Sunday, October 6. This year’s National Fire Protection Association’s campaign theme, “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!” strives to educate communities about the importance of having working smoke alarms in our homes.
The popular pancake breakfast is a fun, family-friendly morning with learning stations, games, fire truck tours, and a junior firefighter challenger course. This also is a great chance to talk with the pros about smoke alarms and their proper use. Most importantly, it’s an opportunity to save lives through education and fellowship.
Another effort is the Ride-Along Program offered by our Hilton Head Island first responders. This program provides an opportunity for town staff and USCB nursing students to observe our team in action, from gaining firsthand understanding of what the job entails to underscoring the important role first responders play as part of the health care team.
Our EMT program for high school seniors who attend the Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence teaches these students how to recognize and respond to various emergencies and explores the facets of emergency medical career paths. This one-semester program also includes CPR and AED certifications, which is the first step in becoming an emergency medical technician once they graduate.
Finally, our fire and rescue professionals seek out ways to lift the spirits and sense of pride within our community through special programs such as the Red-Hot Readers Program. The Hilton Head School for the Creative Arts has been a wonderful partner in allowing our team the opportunity to visit weekly with children in the classroom, or during after-school programs. The goal is to help improve their self-esteem and overall confidence through the power of reading and group discussion.
Our fire and rescue team goes above and beyond so that we all have the privilege of going about our daily lives and counting on them to be there on our worst day. I encourage all citizens to think about how we might find ways to express our gratitude for those who give so much, so willingly, for all of us.