Letters to the Editor

Good thing firefighters don’t take a break

Within minutes after a lightning strike at our Sam Wolf Granite City Campus Thursday morning, area fire departments — including Granite City, Madison, Mitchell and Long Lake — collaborated to extinguish a small rooftop fire and smoldering stucco.

Within hours, the campus was back in business during all-important final exams week.

Much of the education we provide benefits our communities’ public safety, as SWIC is the region’s largest supplier of expertly trained police officers, emergency medical technicians … and firefighters.

While college students face finals once a semester, and many professionals have to “stay current” through periodic licensure exams, our firefighters are tested daily. Think about it. Not many of us would be cut out for that kind of constant challenge, particularly when it potentially involves risking and saving lives.

Thank goodness our firefighters not only don’t mind “finals,” they don’t mind taking them 24-7-365.

Pay It Forward,

Georgia Costello, Ph.D., President Southwestern Illinois College

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