As most of us snapped photos of our children frolicing in the snow with our iPhones, sat by our warm woodstoves and watched the snowfall last week through our living room windows, there were a group of men and women who were either working or on-call to keep our communities safe.

Police, emergency service providers, dispatchers, firefighters and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews and their counterparts weren’t stopped by the snow and ice last Friday night and Saturday morning.

These folks, who braved frigid temperatures, unplowed roads and treacherous black ice, deserve thanks from every citizen in Lunenburg County.

The dedicated men and women of the Lunenburg Sheriff’s Office, Victoria Police Department, Kenbridge Police Department and Virginia State Police were out around the clock, keeping an eye on our homes and businesses, responding to calls for emergencies.

VDOT and town crews pushed our roads clear of snow and ice, allowing us to get out of out homes and driveways.

Volunteers with the Kenbridge Fire Department, Meherrin Fire and Rescue, Kenbridge Rescue Squad, Meherrin Fire and Rescue and Victoria Fire and Rescue Department transported sick and ill patients to doctors and other professionals so they could receive the care they needed to get better. They also responded to accidents and fender-benders and helped in other capacities wherever and whenever they could.

Let’s not forget our dispatchers with the county, State Police and the towns. They are the first voices we hear when we call 911 for a loved one or a friend. They, too, deserve our thanks and gratitude.

While we were warm at home with our families and friends, these folks were out in the elements, working for us.

And, for that, I say thank you to the good folks who kept Lunenburg safe — and continue to do so.

Jordan Miles is senior staff writer of The Kenbridge-Victoria Dispatch. His email address is Jordan.Miles@kvdispatch.com.