Mutual aid. Those two words convey a sense of comfort and support.

They are not theoretical. When it comes to emergencies, mutual aid is real. The volunteers in our fire and rescue companies are always ready to spring to the aid of stricken residents, and they are also prepared to help each other.

Last month, members of Gloucester Volunteer Fire and Rescue and of Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue also rode to Shenandoah County to combat wildfires in the mountains. They were responding to a statewide call for mutual aid.

We sometimes hear people longing for “the good old days,” whatever they were. We believe in the march of progress which creates better living conditions for all us.

Case in point: Mutual aid has always been a real thing among neighbors, even when hastily assembled and used. In 1907, fire broke out at the village school in Mobjack. “People around were attracted by the violent ringing of the school bell,” reported the Mathews Journal. “Fortunately, the usual...