When everyone runs away, they go closer!

Who will run when everything is burning?

Do you know who will be the first to arrive at the accident?

Do you know who will find the way to the fire, when everyone else is running in the opposite direction?

Who will carry you to rescue you, who will dive into the chaos of the flood to save a child, an animal?

Do you know who must always be on alert, in a constant readiness that is not seen, heard, or paid for?

Firefighters are not heroes of the moment. They are everyday heroes — even when the news spotlights are not on them. They are those who fall in the line of duty, literally. Those we mourn every year, but quickly forget.

And among them, seasonal firefighters. People with training, experience, self-sacrifice — and yet, without permanent employment. People who give their best every year and then are laid off. Who see the years pass and with them the possibility of return disappears, even though they know the mountains, the streams, the fire paths better than anyone. Critical and irreplaceable tools that the state throws in the trash.

What about our islands? The islands that do not have the luxury of waiting time? There, the front line is volunteers, seasonals, the few but determined permanent staff. All those who support a local community with the only weapon being their love for the place and its people.

Kefalonia, the archontissa of the Ionian Islands, knows. It has experienced serious disasters, I have knowledge and experience. And that is why it does not just talk. It practically supports those who will run first. That is why on Saturday, March 29, at LOCO, a party is organized to support the Volunteer Forest Firefighting - Emergency Response Team of Elios-Pronnoi. Not just to have a good time, but to raise money, to buy essential supplies. To make "thank you" a deed!

This is the society we want. A society that does not forget its true defenders. A society that honors their work, and supports it at every opportunity.

Because the question is not “who will run when everything burns”.

But “will we be there for him when he returns home and will we support him to fight again for all of us”?

If so, then there is hope!