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The Citizen, 1991-08-14, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14,1991. Huge debt to these volunteers Ask anybody and they'll sing the praises of their local volunteer fire department but until you've seen these people in operation a few times you can't fully appreciate the job they do. Part of our job at a newspaper is to follow fire trucks and so, next to the firemen themselves, our staff probably sees firemen in action more than about anybody else. Take last week when we were at three calls, one as simple as a van that went on fire in Walton last Monday, but two serious car accidents later in the week. Brussels firemen were on hand for an accident Thursday. Blyth firemen handled a call to an accident Friday morning. There was a time when firemen went to fires but their job has grown so much since then. Today they are at the scene of most serious accidents, are often first on the scene of a serious medical emergency, as well as being there when there is a fire to be fought Take Friday morning's terrible accident east of Blyth. One child dead, 20 people injured and taken to hospital. Five ambulances from three hospitals involved...eventually. To begin with, it was just the volunteers of the Blyth and District Fire Department. They were on the scene and helping the injured within minutes. By the time the ambulances started to arrive, firemen could tell them who needed attention the most and what the complaints of the people were. It's hard to see how the ambulance crews could have coped with the sheer size of the accident if the volunteers of the fire department weren't along. At the same time other firemen took over traffic control, leaving police free to investigate the accident. Unlike the police or ambulance people, the firemen are volunteers who drop their tools and rush to the fire hall when their beepers sound, leaving their regular work to be picked up later. It happened twice last week for the Brussels department, three times for Blyth. Their first concern is serving the public. Members of the Brussels department are so worried about serving the people that they've agreed they'd rather answer a call for no charge and be on the road to help if a fire breaks out, than take a chance that a mix-up in jurisdiction might lead to delays. We have three excellent volunteer fire departments in our area in Grey township, Blyth and Brussels, as well as those parts of our coverage area that get help from Clinton and Wingham. That's a lot of volunteers and in the days of professional civil servants, those departments are one of the reminders of how well our communities function through dedication of local citizens. We can never repay the debt we owe to these volunteers. We can only say thanks for a job well done. Those were the days Remember the heady days of the free trade debate? Remember the talk about simply wanting a level playing field? Remember all that talk from south of the border about free and open borders? As somebody once said, judge people by their actions, not their words. Tough new U.S. immigration laws , unless they are reversed, would limit the number of foreign professional performers and athletes working in the U.S. to 25,000 a year. All the singers, dancers, actors, magicians, hockey players, ball players, visiting professional golfers or tennis players would be lumped into the category. Once the quota is filled, the border will be shut. Canadian performers see themselves as huge losers under the legislation that was pushed through under pressure from the Motion Picture Association of America and the AFL-CIO union. They foresee the quota quickly being filled and all but the most high-profile stars would find a hard time getting into the U.S. Anne Murray, for instance, is exempted because of her recognized stardom but some aspiring younger singer won’t be allowed in if there is no room in the quota. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux are all right but some minor leaguer may not be able to play on a U.S. team. To make things even worse, a visiting professional must have been affiliated with the team or organization for at least a year to be allowed in. A visa application can't be made more than 90 days before a performance. Since most concert or theatre tours, for instance, are organized more than a year in advance, there will be problems. The Canadian music industry this week predicted the new regulations could stop eight or 10 music groups from performing in the U.S. Meanwhile U.S. trade negotiator Carla Hills is insisting Canadian protection for cultural activities under the free trade agreement must be reversed. Culture, she says, is an industry just like any other industry. Before we start feeling inferior and buy that bunk, let's judge the Americans by their actions. Open borders are just a negotiating ploy to get a bigger hunk of the pie, not some bed rock American belief. Pals Upsetting events The other day the fire alarm went in Blyth. Engrossed in work, I was more reluctant than usual to leave my desk and chase it to what I realized could be the setting of human tragedy. That wail has, and forever will, caused a chill to run down my back, but now I know I have a job to do, so I grabbed my camera and ran. When I arrived at the scene I realized my apprehension was not unfounded. When the Brussels fire­ fighters, who were at the scene told me no one had been killed I was stupefied, yet grateful for the twist of fate that had placed the heroic figures at the scene, who pulled the youth from the car, thus saving his life. When I found out that once again, the teen was someone I knew, I ran through a gamut of emotions, from anger to despera­ By Bonnie Gropp tion. While taking pictures I noticed my hands were trembling. Those around me, many of them acquainted with the youth, felt the same sense of futility that I was feeling. What can we do to make these frighteningly frequent tragedies stop? How, do we make our young understand that it takes more than a driver's license to make you a capa­ ble driver? How can we explain that it is only our fear and concern that makes us angry, not that we do not understand? As I watched the constable ques­ tioning the witnesses I felt a tremendous amount of sympathy for him. No matter how hard they try, the message still doesn't seem to be getting out there. Speed kills and we are none of us invincible. We are, none of us, as good a driv­ er as we think. A friend of mine said her son has told her it's cool to go fast, only uncool parents think otherwise. I like to go fast too, but, thankfully, since the fines have become so high I am poor enough to know I can't afford it. Also, with age, mortality becomes more personal. Some­ times, it's cooler to be smart. There is not an adult who doesn't remember the things they did and knows that they are lucky to be here. We remember the exuberance of being young and the feeling of being immune to tragedy. The only thing we want now is to see our kids arrive at this point in their life as well. The Huron County Board of Edu­ cation passed an amendment last year to offer an optional defensive driver training course in addition to the regular driver's ed. Maybe the time has come to make it mandato­ ry. I would consider it a necessary expense and one well worth the money, if it would protect our chil­ dren by making them better defen­ sive drivers. As well, there has been some discussion in govern­ ment about new drivers having to be accompanied by an experienced driver for a period of one year. Continued on page 6. The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NCM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 The Citizen Is published weekly In Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $19.16 ♦ $1.66 for each month after March 31/92 ♦ G.S.T. for local letter carrier In Goderich, Hanover, Llstowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A, and Foreign. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copywright. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Assistant Editor, Bonnie Gropp Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968