Sirens should be distracting, but whenever the big red firetruck pulls out of the fire station next door to our office, we just smile because we know they’re helping our community and they’ll be there if we ever need them.

Yesterday we decided to finally thank them for their service. We ordered about 20-pounds of perashkis from Papillon International Bakery and hand-delivered them to Station 26.

We weren’t sure how to get their attention when we got outside the firehouse to deliver the food. There was a giant red button that said “doorbell,” but it looked an awful lot like a fire alarm. We swallowed our fear, pressed it, and then got afraid all over again when we heard a loud bell go off. A moment later the garage door opened and out popped a fireman. He smiled, shook our hands, and put us at ease.

We explained why we were there and asked if we could get a picture with everyone. Before we knew it, nine sharp-looking firemen funneled into the garage and thanked us for the food.

In case you’re curious, we asked them if they’d ever actually helped a cat down from a tree before. Turns out they’ve done it a couple times.

We’re very grateful to work so close to a firehouse. Thank you for your service, Station 26. We hope you enjoyed the food.