As Paris picks up the pieces after a tragic fire scarred the historic Notre Dame Cathedral this week, we believe the tragedy should underscore a need to invest in fire protection.

Natchez is considered an old city by American standards, having celebrated 300 years of existence back in 2016.

But Natchez is a baby next to Notre Dame. The Paris cathedral was begun in 1160 and mostly completed by 1260, approximately 350 years before the French first came to Natchez.

The two cities, however, share irreplaceable history.

Perhaps that’s why so many in Natchez swallowed hard when they saw images of the historic Notre Dame in flames.

“Could that kind of disaster happen here?” we collectively thought.

The truth is, yes, it could.

Particularly if we’ve allowed the city’s fire department to slip a little in recent years.

That’s why it’s so critical that Natchez has state-of-the-art fire protection.

That means the city must invest heavily in the department, both in terms of equipment as well as personnel.

If we hope to avoid losing more history structures, we need to invest with the understanding that this isn’t an expense that can be cut when the city’s budget gets tight, but something that requires consistent focus.