Running into a burning building is no one’s cup of tea.

But countless firefighters in our community have done it more times than they would care to count. To those men and women, the rest of us are forever indebted.

But perhaps another layer of respect and gratitude should be bestowed upon a special group of firefighters who also do their part to protect us all — the volunteers.

Dozens of men and women have signed up across the Miss-Lou to respond to fires, explosions and car accidents with no compensation in return.

The volunteer fire chiefs will tell you that it takes a special kind of person willing to live a special lifestyle to be a volunteer firefighter. That is certainly true.

Talk to one of these volunteers and you will quickly realize they all share a few common traits: selflessness, compassion and bravery.

The men and women of our volunteer fire departments don’t run into fires for the thrill or the pride. They do it for their neighbors.

And every department in our area needs help. More volunteers can mean a lower fire rating, in turn lowering insurance rates for area residents.

But more important, the addition of volunteers means lives and property may be saved in the future.

Anyone out there who thinks they have what it takes to respond to fires should contact their local station for more information.

And to all those who put their lives on the line, we simply can’t thank you enough.