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Thank you, firefighters everywhere.

Dollars on the Driveway

When I was about 13 or 14, the house next door to ours caught on fire. This was in San Francisco, where homes are so close to each other that you tend to share a common wall. So when the house next door catches on fire, you can pretty much bet your house will do the same.

When it happened, my older sisters and I were at school and my dad was at work. Only my mother and my baby sister were home. Apparently a gas line exploded. According to neighbors, the sound was deafening. However, Mom and my sister, just a toddler at the time, were so close to the source of the explosion that they never heard it. Someone from up the street had to come and let them know they had to get out of the house NOW.

Unfortunately, the house next door was pretty much in ruins and the family had to rebuild. Through some miracle, we were very lucky and had almost no damage.

I remember when I got off the bus with one of my sisters after school that day, there were fire trucks lining the street. Someone said, "Your house is on fire" and the two of us ran home. The good news was that the fire had been put out at that time and my mother and sister were safe.

Had it not been for the courage and knowledge of the San Francisco Fire Department that day, that gas line explosion could have been a much bigger tragedy than it was. While property was destroyed, no one was seriously injured.

I think most of us have memories of being assisted by firefighters in some way, at some point in our lives. They are people we tend to take for granted until we need them.

That's why we're offering a special Firefighter Thank You page. If your life has been saved, or your property is still standing, or your cat is safely down from the tree, and you would like to be a sponsor and say Thank You, just let me know and I'll tell you how you can help. My email is denise@sonomanews.com or call me at 933-2747.

Thank you, firefighters, everywhere!

With nearly a quarter century of selling newspaper advertising behind me, I am thrilled to be the current Classified Sales Manager at The Sonoma Index-Tribune and SonomaNews.com. Or, as I refer to myself, the Leading Classified Super Hero and Special Section Specialist. I've worked in most aspects of newspaper advertising, from the large daily to the smaller community paper. Starting with legal advertising, my experience includes paid obituaries, classified ads, retail print and digital sales and even an insert or two. My favorite part of my career is partnering with local businesses and watching them succeed.  I can be reached at (707)933-2747 or denise@sonomanews.com. Please feel free to contact me with any advertising questions and I will be happy to do everything I can to help you reach your marketing goals.