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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

Progress for a community does not always mean more buildings or things to do. Sometimes a step forward for a community is seeing an improvement in something existing or the renewal of a commitment that helps everyone.

The recent contract to ensure countywide ambulance service is one such step of progress.

Many do not think about emergency services personnel until they need them personally or when a siren can be heard whizzing down the nearest major street.

Not everyone has had to call 9-1-1 in an emergency, but everyone expects that help would be there when they needed it.

Chilton County has many people who work behind the scenes to make sure that this help is there. A contract for ambulance service is just one component of this. Police officers, 911 dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, volunteer fire and rescue personnel and the Chilton County 911 Board are all a part of keeping this county safe and ensuring that help is available when needed.

During my career, I have had the opportunity to be in a couple 911 centers. It is amazing the number of things a dispatcher has to do simultaneously to ensure that the correct emergency personnel respond to a scene.

The work of emergency personnel often goes unknown or unnoticed, but it is vital to this community.

In addition to the contract for ambulance service, other improvements have been discussed related to safety and emergency services. Perhaps the most talked about has been upgrading to a P25 emergency communications system. Just as with the ambulance contract, several community members are working on various aspects of this project to make sure that it will become a reality and best serve the community. Some are volunteers who serve because they are passionate about helping the community.

Let us be a county that truly shows our appreciation for the efforts of all of those working behind the scenes to keep emergency response just a phone call away.