Anyone whose read just an inkling of all the events that occurred Monday night should have a new-found respect for our first responders in this county.

From a horrific accident outside of Opp, to a fire at a public housing complex, to a possible drive-by shooting Š our first responders in this county were on their toes and doing their best to keep the safety of Covington County's citizens as priority one.

Although no one was seriously injured in the wreck near Opp, it is good to know that rescue workers and law enforcement were on the scene quickly to secure the location and make sure no one was in a life threatening situation.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the county, Andalusia first responders were staying busy with an apartment fire and the alleged drive-by.

With both City and County officials responding to some of the incidents, it was apparent the opportunity presented itself for our resources to be stretched thin, and potential disaster to strike.

Despite the strain, our resources held strong and got the job done.

We must commend them for displaying an exemplary face of professionalism during Monday night's events.

Too often, residents and law enforcement and other first responders find themselves at odds Š and we view them as something we would rather not discuss or talk about.

Or, if we do, we simply want to "talk a little trash."

But, we must remember, when the need arises, they are there, putting their all on the line for us.

So we once again applaud the efforts of all first responders Monday night. You earned your pay and we thank you for being there when we needed you.

We can, however, only hope that Monday night was one of those rare circumstances Š when the full moon decided to play ugly tricks on the people and things just went a little ary.

This holiday season, while many of us are celebrating with our families, friends and new toys Š remember that the first responders will be at work, making sure all is peaceful in our county.