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Thoughtful area residents understand we owe an enormous debt to volunteer firefighters. Most people in East Ohio and the Northern Panhandle rely on them for protection against fire.
Now, members of the Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department are providing a new reason to be grateful to them.
Many fire departments stand ready and willing to use their facilities as temporary shelters in disaster situations. Few are equipped for that.
Bellaire's department is, to the extent it is expected to receive American Red Cross approval as an official disaster center.
In addition to other improvements, Bellaire firefighters have installed a high-capacity backup generator to provide power to their building. They also have added new air conditioning units.
Once the Red Cross designation is finalized, plans are for that organization to park a trailer containing disaster supplies at the fire department.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of what the Bellaire VFD has done. In case of a major disaster, the department now can provide safe, reasonably comfortable temporary quarters to people who may need it badly.
Good for the Bellaire firefighters, then, for recognizing a potential need and acting to ensure it is met.