October Third, 1995
Probationary Firefighter David “Dave” Mitchell Waterson walked into a two-story concrete and steel firehouse that’s home to Engine Company Sixteen, Ladder Company Sixteen, Urban Search and Rescue Company Three, Field Communications Unit 47, Basic Life Support Ambulance 5, Advanced Life Support Ambulance 10, Swift Water Rescue, and Super Pumper twelve.
A mixed female firefighter with brunette hair slid down the fire pole.
"Can I help you?" Asked the female firefighter
Dave replied friendly, “Yeah I’m the new Probationary Firefighter on Engine Sixteen,”
“Well you’re late,” said the female firefighter, “But I’ll let it slide this time,”
Dave replied. “What do you mean? Shift B starts at 7:30 and it’s 7:22,”
“Got a lot of stuff to do before the shift begins like making sure all the tools and equipment is in working order,” said the female firefighter, “I thought your dad would’ve taught you that. But I don't want to arrive at the fire scene to find the hoses leaking a lot of water. There’s a lot of variables that we have to make sure our equipment is in working order. If not we have to then report it to maintenance to get them to come out and replace it with a spare or to drop it off. Come on, I'll show you to your locker.”
She took Dave to the locker room and it was big and spacious.
“How many lockers are in here?” asked Dave
“There are thirty-six firefighters on shift here,” said the female firefighter, “A total of a hundred and forty four,”
Dave saw rows and rows of stainless steel narrow lockers but he followed her to the locker he’s been assigned. He opened it and placed his duffle bag into the locker and closed it.
“Should’ve asked before,” said Dave, “What’s your name?”
She replied, “Daniella Vintion. Captain,”
“No offense Captain,” said Dave, “Just how you said it was distasteful,”
Captain Vintion replied in a distasteful tone, “Because of my parents. They didn’t want me to become one and in retaliation they set their house on fire as a trap and killed the whole company of Ladder Company Sixty-Nine. But I don’t care what my parents think of me and I don’t care if they got hit by a train on fire going a zillion miles per hour!”
Dave didn’t know how to respond so he left the locker room and went back to the apparatus bay and he did a narrow inspection of the 1 ¾ attack hose, 2 ½ attack hose, 3 inch supply hose, 4 inch supply hose, 1 ½ high-rise pack attack hose, 2 ¾ high-rise pack attack hose, and several breathing apparatuses and masks making sure they were in working order. He also placed them back in the right spots on the fire engine.
Must’ve told myself a million times I didn’t want to be a firefighter! Dave thought, I became one to make my father happy but he isn’t here he’s all the way back in the town of Clearlake!
The bell went off and only units who were dispatched to the call was Engine Sixteen, Ladder Sixteen, and Super Pumper Twelve and went to the mayday alarm over in the other district of Andersen which is on the other side of the city.
Over in the district of Andersen it’s full of wooden apartment buildings built in the early days of the Industrial revolution with some modifications to allow electricity and other modern amenities around the 1885-1950.
Ohh a deli, Dave thought, Should get some sliced ham and make a sandwich when we get back to the firehouse.
Dave took the 2 ½ inch attack line and went down the street stretching it to the burning rowhouse. He also saw a young female firefighter sitting on the backstep of Engine Company 18. He wanted to make sure she’s alright but he didn’t and turned on the attack line when the water flowed and he threw his weight against the force of the hose.
“Keep it high Probie,” said Capt. Daniella
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Dave did his best to aim the nozzle towards the ceiling to let the water hit the ceiling and let the water fall down.
It took a long while for the fire to be knocked out.
I don’t know what my dad, uncle, and grandad saw in doing this, Dave thought, What’s so interesting about holding an attack line and putting out fires? That’s not interesting, it's boring as hell!
Dave then stretched the hose out and someone else folded it back up while the chauffeur made sure the five hundred gallon tank was full of water just in case they get a call on the way back to their firehouse. They also packed up their gear and went back to the firehouse.
“So how was your first call?” asked Captain Daniella
Dave replied, “Not as I imagined. I imagined leaping fires, people calling out for help and all the signs of a big emergency!”
“Easy there tiger,” said Capt. Daniella, “You still got fifty years until you’re supposed to retire until then one day a big emergency will come. Just not today. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the day after tomorrow, maybe not next, next week. But it’ll happen one day. I still remember my big emergency I wanted and got. Still have nightmares about it…”
Dave asked, “What was it?”
“Underground fire underneath the street of Starfish you know the main road in Emerald Pastors,” said Captain Daniella, “January 21st, 1989 it was a cold Saturday it was so cold that it was blowing so hard it was twenty degrees out and the snow off the mountains was falling off and snow was falling. It was my second week as a Probationary Firefighter and I was your age I was only seventeen. Well we got the call at 7:30 in the morning and we went and let’s say it was not fun. I stayed at the top as ordered by my sexist Lieutenant, ordered me and said ‘Stay up here and let real men work’ so I did without questioning it. There was a massive explosion and they didn’t take any readings so I did before radioing in for help. One firefighter I got out of there… His air mask melted to his face and attempting to remove it just removed skin and some layer of muscle. I was the only survivor of Engine Company Sixteen but some time later that day six more firefighters came to replace them. I still have nightmares about that day like yesterday,”
Dave replied, “My uncles besides my Uncle Clark, and my granddad are the same even my cousins,”
“They are firefighters?” asked Captain Daniella
Dave replied, “Just my father and Uncle Clark and they’re back in Clearlake. My Grandfather was a New York City Fireman from 1921-1941 fought in World War 2 in the U.S 1st Infantry Division, 1945-1950, fought in the Korean War, 1953 to his retirement in 1966. My family fought in a lot of wars so they seen things no one should see,”
“I see,” said Captain Daniella
Dave replied, “So do you remember the six that died?”
“I do,” said Captain Daniella, “But I hate the Lieutenant and wish I could forget his name though. It was Firefighter Dennis James, Firefighter Adam Smith, Firefighter James Dean, Firefighter Stanley Johnstan, Chauffeur Nate ‘Skipper’ Danse and Lieutenant Ni… Lieutenant Nick McDonough. Why he had the Chauffeur to go down into the underground is a mystery that I’ll take to my grave. I would rather die than speak of that Lieutenant’s name!”
Dave then politely ended the conversation.
***
3:43 PM
The firebell went off again only just for Engine and Ladder Company Sixteen for a house fire
At the house, Dave entered to find it’s a grease fire.
“Hold the water!” ordered Captain Daniella
Dave then placed the hose down onto the ground and walked over to the stove where he turned off the gas stove, searched for a ABC fire extinguisher or a Class F or a Class K fire extinguisher and he found one and used it to smother a grease fire.
“Nice going their Probie,” said Captain Daniella, “Let’s wrap it up and head back to quarters,”
“It’s just instinct Captain,” said Dave, “Had a few grease fires myself as a young kid and well teenager. Well my dad saved bacon grease. But I always called my father and the CLFD just came out. My dad always asked if I was fine but he always told me to get the professionals if I always needed help,”
Captain Daniella replied, “Okay then. Why does your dad save bacon grease?”
“Because his mother did the same and gave her bacon grease to help with the war effort,” said Dave, “And his stepmom did the same until her death in 1967,”
***
4:30: PM
The fire bell went off for a fire in a tenement so Engine and Ladder 16 went and when they went into the tenement.
“Is that what I think it is?” asked Dave
Captain Daniella replied, “A bathtub…. A bathtub on fire? And I thought I saw everything. This job does love to throw curveballs. Alright Dave spray some Admiral Chekokee Bay onto it,”
Dave turned on the 1 ¾ attack line and soon the fire flared up and Dave backed out after turning off the hose.
“Is that what I think it is?” asked Dave after turning off the hose
“Gasoline?” asked Captain Daniella
“Yeah. Probably some workers near by or something,” said Dave confirming the smell
Captain Daniella said into her radio, “Engine 1-6 stop pumping and flowing water. We smell gasoline coming out of the hose. Disconnect from the hydrant and drain the five hundred gallion tank. Bring several Class B fire extinguishers up to apartment 4C!”
A firefighter arrived and gave them some foam spray, ABC Powder and Carbon Dioxide fire extinguishers and they used those to the flaming bathtub and Dave turned off the bath and he smelled gasoline.
“Engine 1-6 to Main,” Captain Daniella said into her walkie-talkie, “Got a 10-40 at Starfish Blvd, and Sapphire Street. Got gasoline in the water main. Notify the Utility companies. Engine 1-6 over and out,”
***
8:30 PM
Dave was in the common room of the firehouse throwing darts at the dartboard.
The fire bell went off for the Engine, Ladder and an ambulance for a person hit by a car.
At the scene they saw a person is lodged through a large plain glass window and is lodged on a piece. Captain Daniella ordered Dave to put the cones out so he did but she had him stand by while they worked to remove the piece of glass and the person.
***
Tomorrow
Dave walked out of the firehouse and entered his 1959 Hornet Universe (1959 Ford Galaxie) and went to his apartment in the Eastside along the Admiral Culver River and he went to the top apartment and went over to the mini fridge and saw that it was empty so he ran do the store and got a few things.
There was a knock on the door and it was Captain Daniella who came to visit him.
“Heck of a first shift,” said Captain Daniella, “A rowhouse fire which was a Mayday call, a grease fire, a car fire, a person hit by car and lodged through a plain glass window, somehow a bathtub that caught fire
Dave replied, “Yeah it was. But to me it’s better than nothing and got something to do. Now we get to see what tomorrow brings,”