When you think of firefighters you picture people swirling down a pole through an opening in the ceiling of a fire station. They jump aboard the fire engine in gear that weighs more than most people themselves.

You envision these firefighters pulling a hose to the front of the engine and directing the gushing water into the middle of a blaze that has engulfed a structure.

But this isn’t always the case. Many of us know to call the fire department if our cat is stuck in a tree. But who do you call if you’re working in a hospital that is suddenly filling with water, and you have patients who need to be cared for?

This was the scene at the Vaughan Regional Medical Center recently, when a water main broke inside the hospital chapel. Vaughan’s employees knew exactly who they’d call: the Selma Fire Department.

Fire department personnel were initially called to cap a suspected gas leak at the hospital that did not materialize, but once there stayed to help in any way they could.

People are quick to talk about the negatives of our community,

but where else can you find the kind of people like those from the Selma Fire Department?

The firefighters dedicated many hours to helping hospital personnel mop, sweep and move thousands of gallons of water from the hospital’s first floor. Many firefighters worked very hard and with tremendous teamwork to help remedy the situation. To make this story even more special, hospital workers showed their appreciation by feeding pizza to more than 15 firefighters.

These are the stories we should be proud of. These are the stories we want our community and other communities to know about. If we can follow the example set by these gracious firefighters, we can accomplish just about anything we put our minds to.

What if we worked together to fight crime and rid our streets of trash? Anything can be accomplished when a goal is set, and

people are willing to work together hard enough to accomplish it.