Sept. 19 (UPI) — First responders who assisted during California’s Thomas Fire and the resulting mudslide earlier this year were honored with a collection of stamps.
The stamp features an illustration of a red firefighter, a white paramedic and a blue police officer racing into action and surrounded by smoke on a black background alongside the phrases “USA Forever” and “Honoring First Responders.”
“With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Service recognizes the men and women who respond to critical situations with skill, dedication and uncommon bravery,” the description on the USPS website states.
The stamps were issued on Thursday for a price of $2 for a block of four, $5 for a block of 10 and $10 for a sheet of 20.
The release of the stamp was celebrated during a ceremony at the Montecito Fire Department, where philanthropist and Montecito resident Oprah Winfrey delivered the keynote speech.
“Brave, valiant, daring, undaunted, fearless — those are words but there just aren’t enough words or emotions, actually, to describe the heart, the soul, and the fortitude required to sign up to be a first responder,” Winfrey said, according to California’s KSBY.
Winfrey also thanked first responders attending the ceremony for their work during the disasters.
“Thank you for living out loud what it means to be a hero,” she said. “The stamp is merely a symbol of what the spirit of each of you represents. Each of you represents the best of us. You represent the rising of courage, the rising of honor, the rising of compassion, endurance, survival, and thriving.”
