We could all learn an important lesson from our local firefighters when it comes to problem solving.

When the men and women in the big red trucks see a potential emergency, they don’t debate the best way to solve it. They react without delay, saving costly seconds that make all the difference in preventing a disaster.

And if flames happen to extend across different jurisdictions, departments don’t squabble over where responsibility might lie. They work together, happily stepping aside when another agency is in a position to do the job better.

This past Friday, as a wind-swept brush fire rolled down the Simi hills in the direction of hundreds of homes and buildings, we were reminded once again of just how lucky we are to be protected by the greatest firefighting force in the entire nation—possibly the world.

In superhero fashion, members of the Ventura County Fire Department arrived on the scene in full force, attacking the threatening blaze from both land and air.

Often with their backs just a few hundred feet from people’s homes, firefighters fought the flames with hoses, axes, shovels and even incendiary devices of their own.

In the end, thanks to their efforts, no one was hurt and no homes were destroyed.

As the thousands of residents who stepped outside their homes and businesses to watch the smoke and fire can attest, what turned out to cost the city just 367 acres of brush could have cost a lot more—just ask the citizens of Moorpark.

So when you’re counting your blessings this holiday season, remember to include the members of local fire departments, the men and women who work so hard and so well to keep this beautiful valley safe.