Erin Scarzella is hoping that the Airdrie firefighters who attended her elderly neighbour's residence on Tuesday afternoon know that their thoughtful gesture didn't go unnoticed.

Scarzella, a decade-long resident of Airdrie who lives in the Windsong neighbourhood had been taking advantage of the summer-like temperatures and was tending to her front lawn and had noticed her neighbour, an older gentleman, was also out and about on his driveway and working on his car. 

Unfortunately, the humdrum Tuesday was not had for long when her neighbour had to call 9-1-1 for his spouse, whom Scarzella said has been battling a prolonged illness. As emergency crews showed up, with paramedics rushing inside the house with the man to tend to his partner. Fire crews also arrived, along with the police.

"They noticed that the husband had been working on his car at some point and he had his tires off. When they noticed that, three of the firefighters actually got down on their knees and they finished the job for the gentleman without being asked," she said. " I can only imagine, but their jobs are hard. They see a lot of hard stuff. It's nice that even in the midst of that, they can take a few moments and do something thoughtful for somebody else."

Airdrie Deputy Fire Chief Garth Rabel said that the gesture is a demonstration of the kinds of individuals who enlist in the fire service.

"That's just the way they're wired; it is the work we do. It's always nice to be recognized for some of the added value that we bring to our work, but our teams don't think twice about providing that," Deputy Rabel said. "We appreciate the community as a community appreciates us."

After having witnessed the gesture, Scarzella said it was incredibly poignant to watch the first responders, especially since she knows that her neighbours have been through many medical stresses.

"It was just really heartwarming to see it and for them to just do something such as that. I'm sure it meant a lot to the gentleman across the street, and it definitely meant something to me," she said. "I hope that they get kudos."

Rabel added that although there have been many instances in which residents have shared their gratitude for the fire department, the outpouring of thanks still elicits emotion; and that emotion is seen through not only the lends of a leader in the fire department but also as a father and grandfather.

"I'm very proud of what the service does and the service is extremely caring. [If] we can make a person's day [better] then that's pretty powerful."

Because Scarzella has seen the firefighters before, she is fairly certain they came from the Chinook Winds station. 

Scarzella said even though such gestures may go seemingly unnoticed, it's important to celebrate and recognize them.

"It's just nice to see something pure - pure good, and neighbourly good." 

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