‘The things you take for granted’

To the Editor,On April 14, I was taking a nap at my girlfriend’s mother’s house in Tecumseh when I suddenly heard the fire alarm go off. Remembering that the chimney had been prepped before dinner, I just rolled over, confident that it was probably a false alert to smoke. If you’re tempted to be shocked at my nonchalant reaction to a serious warning, please don’t be. I am utterly untrained at such emergencies. Two minutes later, two policemen were in the house, by which time I understood that I should probably get out of bed. Barefoot and wearing shorts, I went out to witness law enforcement officers enquiring about what might have gone wrong. Next thing you know, a fire truck is parked in the neighborhood and two firemen are inspecting every corner of the house. All this happened in about five minutes. The house was not on fire. Dazzled at such scenery, I insisted on taking a picture with two of the firefighters. Let me explain.I live in Morocco, where law enforcement is more preoccupied with stifling people’s basic rights than ensuring their safety. We do have a fire department, but the way it operates says a lot about how little it cares about saving the life of the little guy. Often while trying to reach the fire department by phone, your calls will simply go unanswered. A couple of months ago in Casablanca, an American expatriate with military training had to physically intervene and extinguish a fire at his neighbors’ house because they just could not reach the fire department. There have also been multiple accounts of citizens trying in vain to warn the authorities of a wildfire witnessed at the side of the road. Death by fire is thus just another fact of life where I come from. And that’s of course in case there is a fire. Fire prevention devices and measures are not much of a priority. So usually the one way to foresee the risk of a fire is to actually see it happen.You can now understand why what you probably see as a routine response was enough to blow my mind. I was in awe of the reactivity and professionalism displayed by the Tecumseh police and firemen. Growing up in the United States, it’s easy to take such a sense of duty for granted. Allow yours truly to remind you that it is not like that everywhere. I want to thank those decent folks who showed up on my girlfriend’s mother’s lawn expecting the worst, ready to risk their lives in order to save mine. And next time you happen to meet one, make sure to thank them for their service.For my part, next time I hear a fire alarm, I will definitely start moving!Zouhair MazouzMorocco