Tragedy is a reminder to be grateful

How’s your day going? How often do you complain that you’re having a bad day?

What negative circumstances are you facing?

A week ago, a young family lost their home and all of their belongings and several suffered serious injuries from a house fire. But, thanks to the quick thinking of the husband and father, no one has lost their life. The family’s home is in rural McDonald County, Mo., just miles from Pea Ridge and the father, Matt McDonald, drove the injured to Pea Ridge where they were met with ambulances and medics. (See the article in The TIMES for more on the incident.)

This situation serves as a grave reminder to each of us that our current circumstances could be worse.

This family awoke to begin the day as normal preparing to go to work and face the tasks ahead of them, but that was derailed and their lives will never be the same.

Members of the community have stepped up and fundraisers have been organized. Many people are praying and ministering to the family who will have a long road to recovery. There are many options to help and I encourage each of you to find a way to minister to these people, our neighbors, who worked and went to school here in Pea Ridge.

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians from Pea Ridge Fire-EMS Department immediately set to work assessing and treating the victims as they were joined by personnel from other Fire-EMS departments. All worked together seamlessly treating, then transporting, the five people suffering from burns.

It serves as a reminder to value the trained personnel who serve here daily ready at a moment’s notice to meet the needs of anyone needing their services.

Here, in Pea Ridge, we’ve been facing the transition from a small, rural, agricultural based town to a busy bedroom community struggling to fund infrastructure. Many newcomers have moved in from cities where fire, ambulance and police are easily provided, accessible and taken for granted.

Here, the fire department still relies mostly on volunteers.

In McDonald County, Mo., where this family lived, the fire departments are volunteer and the ambulances are few and far between. Response time to the house was more than the time it took for the family to drive to Pea Ridge.

Most of us may never need a fire truck or ambulance. But, when we do, we should be glad that the response time will be quick as the departments in our region — Pea Ridge, NEBCO, Avoca, Little Flock — are well trained and respond quickly. Maybe we’ll think twice before complaining about fire dues, recognizing that there are few resources to fund those departments.

Today, hug your loved ones a little tighter.

Thank a firefighter, an ambulance worker.

And do what you can to give to the family who lost their home and belongings.

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Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County, chosen the best small weekly newspaper in Arkansas for five years. She is the mother of nine grown children and 12 grandchildren. The opinions expressed are those of the author. She can be reached at abeard@nwadg.com.