THOSE people who volunteer hold a special place in any community.
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Those who are volunteers in the Rural Fire Service at this time are even more special as they do battle with fires in a number of spots across the state and country.
The power and savagery of the fires at Coonabarabran have been devastating and a number of homes and properties have been severely damaged, valuable fencing lost and countless sheep, cattle, domestic pets and wild animals have been killed.
Those who volunteer to don the yellow, fireproof suits are well trained and well led - for that we can be thankful.
Certainly those who have had important pieces of property saved can be more thankful, but as a community as a whole we have nothing but praise for these volunteer firefighters.
As Orana RFS team leader, Brett McCarthy described to the Daily Liberal when his team arrived at Coonabarabran on Sunday evening they were pressed straight into property protection detail.
To access the properties they had to protect they drove a difficult road, dodging downed power poles and lines, in the night with thick smoke to contend with as well.
No easy task.
So we should show our support and thanks next time we see the RFS volunteers fundraising for important equipment.
It's the least we could do.
However we should also acknowledge of the efforts of those who work in the emergency services like the police, paramedics and the staff belonging to organisations like Essential Energy as they've worked hard too.