“The goal of the fire department has always remained the same: to protect the citizens and property of Williamsport.”

This statement, found in both a historical chronicle of the Williamsport Bureau of Fire and in last weekend’s edition of the Williamsport, perfectly captures why the bureau’s 150th anniversary is worth celebrating.

Firefighters bear enormous risks out of sense of duty to their communities and to their neighbors. We appreciate their service, we hope every member of our communities and everyone across our region can feel a sense of gratitude for their service and we hope our city’s and state’s leaders continue to listen to their needs and address their concerns.

Firefighters told the Sun-Gazette that the risks posed by fires and the nature of operating a fire department have changed over time. The increasing use of plastics and more sophisticated technology creates more complicated fire scenes with more toxic elements. A brand-new fire engine in 1990 could cost about $125,000 — today it costs nearly $1 million.

“The room from the ’70s took 29 minutes to reach a flashover state,” Chief Sam Aungst said, referring to the stage of a fire with near-simultaneous ignition of the most directly exposed material capable of burning. “Today, its three-and-a-half minutes.”

Despite all of these changes, the article in last weekend’s edition notes that firefighters persevere.

As the intricacies of firefighting may change, the important role firefighters play in communities does not.

And so, again, we hope our municipal and state leaders listen to firefighters and firefighters, work to understand the evolution of firefighting in Pennsylvania — both paid and volunteer — and work to make sure firefighters have all the resources they need to keep people and their homes and businesses safe.