Outside Looking In

Fire Prevention
This week (Oct. 10-14) is Fire Prevention Week, although to many it comes and goes with little notice.
Unless you have a fire or emergency, you might not think about how important these fire fighters are to each community.
What makes them so important? They save lives. They do much more than that, but that's the number one reason, although there are many more good reasons why fire fighting is considered a highly-skilled profession which makes vital contributions to the community it serves.
The primary purpose of firefighters is to ensure the safety of lives by preventing and extinguishing fires, while also offering medical care during emergencies.
Local firefighters volunteer their time to be trained and to provide vital serviced to the community.
While on a family outing, they might be called to leave in order to help someone else out. Or a call might come in the middle of the night, or they have to battle a blaze in a blizzard. Sometimes they are on location for a call for many hours, making sure a small problem doesn't become a bigger one.
While lives matter much more than property, the latter is also important and firefighters want to make sure the property is conserved, not only from a fire, but also from the firefighting efforts.
Educating the public is also a part of every firefighter's job. That's one reason fire departments have Open House events in order to educate not just children, but also adults, on ways to stay safe.
Fires aren't the only calls firefighters must respond to. When the Twin Towers came down and trapped many people inside, fire fighters and other emergency personnel risked their own lives to try and rescue people.
Firefighters might have to free people from a burning vehicle, a collapsed building, a gas leak, or even free a trapped animal. They may have to assist in searching for a missing person.
Firefighting offers a new challenge with each call. At some point in their career, nearly every firefighter will be called upon to perform a duty that a non-firefighter would consider an act of bravery.
The Mascot is honoring the fire departments of the five communities in our coverage area this week -- Minneota, Ghent, Taunton, Porter and St. Leo. Some of the departments did not have an updated personnel photo so we inserted a photo of one of their fire trucks with the names of the members, including each of their chiefs and assistant chiefs.
Make sure to thank a fire fighter the next time you see them. They deserve it.
The Minneota Fire Department held its Open House on Sunday, Oct. 9 at the Fire Hall.
The fundraising raffle drawing was also held following the Open House event. Over $10,000 in cash and prizes were given away.
The winners were: Justin Hjermstad, 2022 Polaris 450 ATV; Kevin Twedt, Traeger Pro 575 Pellet Gun; Allan Josephson, Weber Spirit, E-210 Propane Grill; Travis Maddon, Solo Stove Bonfire Pit; Darla Timmerman, Solo Stove Bonfire Pit; Kenny Buysse, $1500; Isaac Laleman, $1000; Carolyn Bot, $750; David Buysse, $500; Jerry Pavley, $250; and Lincoln Lessman and Corbin DeSmet, kids' trucks.

Pet of Week
The Mascot is seeking more Pet of the Week photos. Take a photo of your pet or pets and email it to office@minneotamascot.com or drop it off at the Mascot office during business hours or in the secure metal box outside our front door.
Also include the owner's name, the pet's name, age, breed and what your pet likes to do the most.
The Pet of the Week is free and runs each week in the Mascot. Tri-County Veterinary Clinic of Taunton sponsors our Pet of the Week.

Tragic fall
Elizabeth Olson of Canby, whose grandparents, Linda and Kenny Hennen of Porter, fell 20 feet out of a tree she was trimming and landed on her back on Sept. 3, leaving her paralyzed from the waist on down.
Olson, who worked for Rye's Nursery west of Porter for 10 years, has been in the Sioux Falls hospital since the fall.
Olson was using a chainsaw when a large branch she was cutting came down awkwardly and knocked her out of the tree.
Olson's sister, Chris DeVos, who overcame a battle with cancer two years ago, currently lives in Minneota.