fireplug
<font color=red>Keeper of the Flame<br><font color
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2001
- Messages
- 3,836
The rookie sat quietly in the jump seat, the siren blaring overhead. Truck 17 was headed to a residential fire on a second alarm.
It was his first Christmas Eve on duty and he had been on the job only 2 weeks. When they arrived the BC told his Lt to search th second story. As they entered the front door the Engine company was attacking the fire. The living room was charred and full of smoke, the skeleton of a christmas tree giving stark testimony to the tradgedy that was playing out.
The crew crawled up the stairs and started their grim task. The rookie crawled on all fours like he was taught at the academy. He reached around a door and into a closet.To his horror he touched an arm. " I found one Lt." he hollered as he pulled the limp form out of the clothes pile. The boy looked to be about 5 yrs old. He didn't look like he was breathing. "Good job rookie" he said " no one gets left behind" The Lt. took the boy and raced down stairs. He handed him over to the medics on the ambulance. Hes got a weak pulse" he heard one say "but hes not breathing" The doors closed and the ambulance pulled away. Helluva thing to happen on Christmas Eve he thought.
The years passed and the rookie became a veteran, a real smokeater. Many more fires came and went. But he remembered that first one like it was yesterday. The smell of burning pine needles always took him back there. The limp form, the shattered life, the sadness was always there during the holidays.
As luck would have it the fireman was pulling a shift on Christmas Eve again. The gong sounded and another address boomed over the box. The fireman pulled on his bunker pants and buckled his coat. Here we go again, he thought with growing despair. They pulled up in front of a rundown storefront. Smoke boiled out of the splintered glass. The heat was tough but he had been in hotter. At least there wont be any kids in here, he muttered under his breath. He entered the front and started doing his work. Off to his right he heard a strange sound, kind of like wood crying. Suddenly the ceiling was on him. He was trapped. As he struggled against the heavy timbers lying on him, his alarm sounded on his airpack. "Well I guess this is how it ends then" he thought, "a helluva thing to happen on Christmas Eve."
As the fireman was about out of air he saw a flashlight's beam. "We'll get you out old hoss, no one gets left behind", he heard the young fireman say to him. The old fireman looked up and saw Ladder 17 on the youngster helmet. My old company he thought as he slipped into blackness.
A few hours later when the hospital released him, he thought I'll stop by 17's house and thank them. He walked in the door and saw the crew sitting at the table. None of the faces looked familiar though. "Who was the hero last night that pulled me out of that storefront? " He asked. "I want to shake his hand" No one moved. "What fire last night?" One finally asked "we didn't turn a tire last night"
" Oh quit pulling my leg" the older fireman said " One of you youngsters dragged me out and I saw his face. His helmet read Ladder 17"
" Honest, we've been in house all night" they said. "what did this youngster look like?"
The oldtimer described what he remembered of his rescuer. "About 6'3 and black hair, he had a mouth full of teeth and a grin a mile wide" he told them.
The room got real quiet.
"What the hell is the problem?" he said " don't you have someone that looks like that on duty"?
The Lt. walked over and picked up a picture. He carried it over to the fireman and handed it to him. It was a picture of a young family, a mom, young baby and there was his rescuer standing in back. "Thats him" the firefighter shouted "I knew you guys were trying to put one over me. Whats his name?"
"We dont' know." the Lt said. "he stopped by and dropped this picture off last week. He said someone from Ladder 17 saved him one Cristmas Eve and he never was able to thank him. So he gave us this photo of his family and said 'When you see the man who saved me 20 years ago, tell him thank you'. "He told us he lives a couple hundred miles from here. But came here to say thanks. We didnt know who he was talking about till now.
The old firefighter walked out into the bright Christmas sunlight
As he gazed up he thought to himself " Helluva a thing to happen on a Christmas Eve."
Steve
It was his first Christmas Eve on duty and he had been on the job only 2 weeks. When they arrived the BC told his Lt to search th second story. As they entered the front door the Engine company was attacking the fire. The living room was charred and full of smoke, the skeleton of a christmas tree giving stark testimony to the tradgedy that was playing out.
The crew crawled up the stairs and started their grim task. The rookie crawled on all fours like he was taught at the academy. He reached around a door and into a closet.To his horror he touched an arm. " I found one Lt." he hollered as he pulled the limp form out of the clothes pile. The boy looked to be about 5 yrs old. He didn't look like he was breathing. "Good job rookie" he said " no one gets left behind" The Lt. took the boy and raced down stairs. He handed him over to the medics on the ambulance. Hes got a weak pulse" he heard one say "but hes not breathing" The doors closed and the ambulance pulled away. Helluva thing to happen on Christmas Eve he thought.
The years passed and the rookie became a veteran, a real smokeater. Many more fires came and went. But he remembered that first one like it was yesterday. The smell of burning pine needles always took him back there. The limp form, the shattered life, the sadness was always there during the holidays.
As luck would have it the fireman was pulling a shift on Christmas Eve again. The gong sounded and another address boomed over the box. The fireman pulled on his bunker pants and buckled his coat. Here we go again, he thought with growing despair. They pulled up in front of a rundown storefront. Smoke boiled out of the splintered glass. The heat was tough but he had been in hotter. At least there wont be any kids in here, he muttered under his breath. He entered the front and started doing his work. Off to his right he heard a strange sound, kind of like wood crying. Suddenly the ceiling was on him. He was trapped. As he struggled against the heavy timbers lying on him, his alarm sounded on his airpack. "Well I guess this is how it ends then" he thought, "a helluva thing to happen on Christmas Eve."
As the fireman was about out of air he saw a flashlight's beam. "We'll get you out old hoss, no one gets left behind", he heard the young fireman say to him. The old fireman looked up and saw Ladder 17 on the youngster helmet. My old company he thought as he slipped into blackness.
A few hours later when the hospital released him, he thought I'll stop by 17's house and thank them. He walked in the door and saw the crew sitting at the table. None of the faces looked familiar though. "Who was the hero last night that pulled me out of that storefront? " He asked. "I want to shake his hand" No one moved. "What fire last night?" One finally asked "we didn't turn a tire last night"
" Oh quit pulling my leg" the older fireman said " One of you youngsters dragged me out and I saw his face. His helmet read Ladder 17"
" Honest, we've been in house all night" they said. "what did this youngster look like?"
The oldtimer described what he remembered of his rescuer. "About 6'3 and black hair, he had a mouth full of teeth and a grin a mile wide" he told them.
The room got real quiet.
"What the hell is the problem?" he said " don't you have someone that looks like that on duty"?
The Lt. walked over and picked up a picture. He carried it over to the fireman and handed it to him. It was a picture of a young family, a mom, young baby and there was his rescuer standing in back. "Thats him" the firefighter shouted "I knew you guys were trying to put one over me. Whats his name?"
"We dont' know." the Lt said. "he stopped by and dropped this picture off last week. He said someone from Ladder 17 saved him one Cristmas Eve and he never was able to thank him. So he gave us this photo of his family and said 'When you see the man who saved me 20 years ago, tell him thank you'. "He told us he lives a couple hundred miles from here. But came here to say thanks. We didnt know who he was talking about till now.
The old firefighter walked out into the bright Christmas sunlight
As he gazed up he thought to himself " Helluva a thing to happen on a Christmas Eve."
Steve
