Residents of Weyburn and area should appreciate the men and women who serve in the Fire Department more now than ever, in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States and the loss of fire fighters in aftermath, Fire Chief Denis Pilon said, with Fire Prevention Week set to be observed on Oct. 7-12.

Not only will the threat of terrorism be more real for all communities, but fire fighters and other emergency personnel are assessing their ability to handle such situations should they arise again, he said in his annual Fire Chief's message.

"Our job is to protect the citizens of our communities from harm and our commitment to this role was reaffirmed by the actions of the rescuers in the twin towers in New York. We might work on a smaller scale, but the issues and the threats are the same," he said.

"Our role is the preservation of life and property by preventing fires and other major incidents and when we are unable to prevent them from occurring, we will respond to them to assist wherever we can, even if it means risking our lives to save others."

Over 200 fire fighters died in the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, along with about 100 police officers, after two commercial airliners crashed into them on Sept. 11.

Asked in an interview if the deaths of these firefighters will change the image people have of firefighters, Chief Pilon said it should raise people's awareness of the job that they do.

"I don't think the image has changed at all. The fire service right across this nation and across the United States is highly-respected, and always has been. That may have been brought more to the forefront with these events. The firefighters who died in the buildings died doing what people expected them to do," said the fire chief.

He noted the comments of one man who escaped the towers after they were hit by the airplanes, and how he had passed firefighters on their way up as he passed the 20th floor on the way down; the man said he knew then he was going in the right direction, as the firefighters were heading right into danger.

"This year, during Fire Prevention Week, I ask all the citizens to reflect on the loss of emergency workers' lives while trying to protect the community and to think about the steps you can take to prevent these men and women from having to risk their lives needlessly," the fire chief said in his message.

Chief Pilon recently returned from the national fire chiefs conference, held in London, Ont., which was attended by representatives of the New York State fire chiefs association. Tributes to the fallen firefighters in New York were made in the opening ceremonies and at the closing banquet of the conference.

The fire chief, along with firefighter Morley Forsgren and members of the Weyburn Police Service and cadets appeared at a concert on Sunday evening, where singer Shirley Johnson sang a tribute to all men and women in uniform, with a standing ovation given for the fire and police representatives.

During the next two to three weeks, the Weyburn Fire Department will be taking its fire safe house around to all the elementary schools to teach them about fire safety. Also, at the end of Fire Prevention Week, the Fire Department will hold its annual pancake breakfast and open house on Saturday, Oct. 13. Proceeds from the breakfast will go towards Communithon. For more information on fire prevention, please see page 2B inside today's edition.