MDA: Firefighters needlessly risk injury

It’s that time of year again. As we approach Labor Day weekend, the Muscular Dystrophy Association is fundraising again.

On a recent day, at the corner of 38th and Steele streets, a dozen or more firefighters were hopping among traffic with boots in hand to raise money for MDA. However, this intersection has become crazily busy with the addition of Costco and Chick-fil-A to the mall traffic and Interstate 5 intersection.

I realize firefighters are nimble folk, but it scared me watching near misses as lights changed. There are so many turn lanes and so many cars, an accident is waiting to happen.

Had they been collecting for victims of the state wildfires, I’d gladly pitch in. But the location, and this risky business, needs to change. Someone hitting the gas pedal instead of their brake could be a disaster. We don’t want to lose any more firefighters.

Tacoma

This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 12:46 PM with the headline "MDA: Firefighters needlessly risk injury."