From the Editor: Proven for Generations

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Proven for Generations

Over the last few years Albemarle County has tried to take over the volunteer fire and rescue services that many sections of the county developed over the years to provide for communal protection and bring them under the thumb of county officials. They would deny that and contend that their aim is more benign. And while we are happy with collaboration and cooperation, our Crozet Volunteer Fire Department and Western Albemarle Rescue Squad provide service second to none under their own guidance and self-government. The county has nothing to add to their quality and can best support them by providing what additional money the volunteers ask for. Imagine the millions it will cost us if the volunteers give up in disgust and we must pay full freight for these services!

The CVFD is now 101 years old. It has generations of knowledge and commitment at hand to inform and inspire it. Their badges, gleaming bright as they do, bear that patina of the time-proven truths.

The county will take a new stab at a set of ordinances to effectively absorb these volunteer services in December.

Now hear this: Don’t mess with us. Don’t fix what’s not broken. We must be prepared to stand up with our firemen and our paramedics and show our gratitude for their years of self-sacrifice. We must be ready to repay all the love they have shown us. What has made Crozet “the Land of Oz,” the magical place it is, is that we step forward to take care of each other and we don’t look for somebody else to step up for us.