During the production of this issue, we became aware that Tulare County had lost two very honorable public safety heroes within the span of the last month. It is with both sadness and sincerity that we offer our thoughts and prayers to the families and departments of those who lost these two great men. In honor of their tremendous contributions to our community, we have dedicated a special section in this issue to remember these heroes with stories shared by loved ones and information about how to make donations to funds established in their honor.

Also in this issue, we profile two of the local K9 units, providing readers with the history of the K9 officer, the costs associated with raising and training a K9, as well as a true “tail” of rescue that bonded one officer and his canine counterpart for life. As a dog lover, this feature is one that I’ve been looking forward to for some time now. In light of the upcoming Sierra K9 trials I hope this article promotes an interest within the community to attend and support our furry friends and their handlers at the annual competition in March.

Additionally, it is a pleasure to introduce longtime health care provider, Dave Sanbongi to our readers in The Sketch. Dave has been devoted to the health care system within the Central Valley for close to thirty years, and his commitment to local agencies such as SkyLife and Kaweah Delta Hospital certainly makes for a long career full of exciting and impacting experiences.

As long as my family has been involved with the EMS community, it was not until we attended a Three Rivers Heroes Appreciation event in January, that we truly understood the extent of the role volunteers play in keeping our community safe. I hope you will enjoy our Three Alarm feature about some of the heroic individuals in the Valley who generously give their time and put their safety on the line to ensure ours is in good hands.

Whether they’re on four feet or two, volunteer or paid, the people who come to help when someone’s life is turned upside down or when one’s life is on the line, these folks tie our community together in countless ways. These are the folks our magazine is dedicated to. Our sorrow when they’re taken and the pride that endures reminds us of our gratitude to them. Their stories are our small way of repaying that debt.