Any first responder understands their job comes with an element of danger, but an incident Monday, Sept. 30, illustrates that the public can help by being attentive on the road.

As we learned in the Tuesday edition of the Butler Eagle, a firefighter from the Portersville/Muddy Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department was struck by a vehicle while responding to a two-vehicle crash Monday on Perry Highway in Portersville.

The firefighter, whose name hasn’t been released, was part of a crew dealing with a crash between a pickup truck and another vehicle.

“The firefighter was on the call in Portersville, and was struck by a motorist turning north from West Portersville Road,” Tim Saunders, the chief of the Porterville/Muddy Creek VFD, explained.

The firefighter was taken to the hospital and released later that day.

It’s a small miracle that the firefighter wasn’t seriously injured, but it’s also a reminder to every driver that it’s essential to be alert and aware when on the road.

The Monday incident recalls a crash in Allegheny County in August 2023 when Trooper Josh Osche, part of Troop D covering Butler County, was off duty and came upon a crash on the Parkway West. He got out to help and was hit by a passing motorist.

He was seriously injured but returned to duty after several months of recovery.

First responders — firefighters, emergency medical personnel and police — already put their lives on the line to save the lives of others. We owe it to them to be cautious on the road.

— JK