Alina’s community profile drew us into a world of which we know very little.  We see firefighters performing heroic duties on the television, but we don’t know much more about their lifestyles.   Alina writes of her cousin – a female firefighter stationed in Indio.  Her name was Sara.  Alina’s essay takes us behind the scenes.  Sara was a woman of great courage and determination.  She overcame all obstacles in her way, but she died of stage four cancer.  Alina explains the tremendous risks firefighters take from their exposure to toxic chemicals.