The weekend following Thanksgiving, many Kitsap residents braved inclement weather to take advantage of store sales and, perhaps, to walk off that excess turkey and pie.

No such luxury for our firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, law enforcement officers, and county road crews. Cold winds knocked down trees and iced roads. From the middle of night through the following day, they freed families from damaged homes, rescued motorists in collisions, removed trees that blocked roads, warned residents of hazardous driving conditions, and provided overnight shelter.

Blessings to them all.

Their work is most visible during crisis, but their work during the latest storm reminds us that they are always vigilant, their equipment well maintained, all hands ready to roll at the moment of dispatch. To them, this is 24/7, 365 days a year. You can look at it as a return on our investment of tax dollars. They look at it as public service.

Let’s review the Thanksgiving weekend storm.

Overnight snow was followed in the morning by strong, cold winds that downed trees and kept some roads icy.

A tree fell on three homes at Scandia Park mobile home neighborhood; another tree fell on a home in Suquamish. Fortunately, there were no injuries, according to Poulsbo Fire Department.

Washington State Patrol reportedly closed the offramp from Highway 3 to Highway 305 late Nov. 29 because of ice.

As darkness neared, North Kitsap Fire & Rescue’s headquarters station in Kingston was opened as an overnight severe weather shelter. The county’s overnight severe weather shelter was also opened at Bremerton Food Line, 1600 12th St., Bremerton.

By evening Nov. 29, NKF&R had responded to more than 55 calls within a 24-hour period, and Poulsbo Fire Department reported being “hammered with calls” within a three-hour period.

Kitsap County road crews began work shortly after midnight Nov. 29 and continued through the day, Kitsap County public information officer Doug Bear reported on the county’s website. In parts of North Kitsap, Puget Sound Energy crews cut power so road crews could remove fallen trees that were entangled in power lines and reopen the roads. Elsewhere, where roads were bare, crews used sand to provide traction.

Bear passed on this warning: Low temperatures mean any wet road surfaces will freeze. “Motorists are urged to use extra care and caution, particularly on overpasses, shaded areas, bridges and intersections,” he reported.

NKF&R and Poulsbo Fire issued similar advice over social media: If you can stay home, do so. If you must go out, leave yourself plenty of room to stop.

Ferry workers on the Edmonds-Kingston route went to extra lengths too, tracking down and reuniting a Bellevue woman with her purse, which contained her husband’s medication.

We have much for which to be thankful, indeed.

To all of our public safety and emergency crews: Thank you. Be safe out there. We’ll do the same.