Rushing to the hydrant, dragging the hose, and dousing the flames can be heroic.

But if you’re the one who set the fire, it’s far less impressive.

Putting out fires is heroic, but there’s also heroism in fire prevention. It’s just that the preventative measures don’t tend to generate headlines.

View this as a metaphor for doing the quiet, steadfast work that helps to avert all kinds of disasters.