October Fifth, 1995
At the Firehouse. Dave was looking at a map of the city and noticed every firehouse in the city is spread out. But a few in Uptown and a few in Midtown.
"It's 8:10 in the morning and you're starring at a map?" asked Captain Daniella, "Whatever helps you to wake up in the morning,"
Dave replied, "Just wanted to look at a map of the city. I already do to help me navigate home and here and to the store or somewhere I want to go,"
The fire bell went off.
***
On Sunset Street.
Dave stretched the 2 1/2 attack line into the tenement building and up the stairs to the forth floor but he got onto his hands and knees and placed his mask on and turned the oxygen tank on flowing air from the tank to him.
"You ready?" asked Captain Daniella
Dave replied, "I was born ready!"
"Alright boy wonder," said Captain Daniella, "Fight this!"
Daniella opened the door and Dave saw half of the tenement engulfed in flames and fire rushing out of the windows but he turned the hose on but changed the spray from a straight stream to a narrow-angle cone.
"Fuck it's hot and it's rolling!" said Dave
Captain Daniella replied, "Don't you dare to back out! Hold your ground!"
Dave's hand feels like they're about to melt to the hose and slip off the nozzle as well. But he held his ground and tried to keep the fire back.
Daniella asked what's the progress outside and got a progress that they're setting up the deluge gun and about to turn it on while the other nozzle man is outside with the 1 3/4th attack line and spraying up into the fire with the straight stream. Ladder Company 16 was still working with the evacuation and ventilation.
"Engine 1-6 to main," said Captain Daniella, "Requesting a second alarm on this 10-75 to 4565 Sunset Street,"
Dave turned the hose back from narrow angle cone back to the straight stream and sprayed the fires at the base and up at the ceiling but mostly at the floor and he stood his ground.
Engine Company 82 and Truck Company 82 soon arrived as they're the second companies assigned to the call. Engine Company 82 dropped their hoses and went inside to fight the fire and used it's deck gun to spray the fire while Truck Company 82 helped with evacuation of the building and search for any fire extension.
***
After half a hour passed.
"Alright fire's out," said Dave,
The fire was out but the apartment was smoldering and Dave sprayed some water onto anything still smoldering to make sure the fire didn't reignite.
Dave then got out of the apartment so the men from the Truck companies can do their overhaul and he emptied the hose after the chauffeur turned the pump off and Dave folded the hose back onto the engine.
***
Later that day
It's 12:40 PM the fire bell went off for a fire at 4565 Sunset Street in apartment 4A.
"That apartment again!" said Captain Daniella
Dave replied, "Well our job is being public servants so we go where they need us and don't have the option to choose what emergencies to go on."
Captain Daniella knew that Dave is correct that they're public servants and have to go when the bell goes off and they don't have the option to choose to go to a emergency or not even if it's a nusance call or a possible false alarm.
***
At the tenement building.
"Engine 1-6 to main," said Captain Daniella, "Transmit a fourth alarm to 4565 Sunset Street. Floor's fourth, fifth, and six are full involved,"
Dave jumped off the back end with the 2 and a half inch attack line and waited for the backup firefighter to hook up the five inch supply line to the hydrant and get the water flowing.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Something isn't right about this, Dave thought, I highly doubt these so called landlords heard of the Fair Housing Act of 1725, Fair Housing Act of 1789, Fair Housing Act of 1888, and Fair Housing Act of 1968. Probably landlords would love to meet a judge who'll throw them out for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1722 which says that it's 'Unlawful to discriminate in terms, conditions, or privileges of sale of a dwelling because of race, national origin, and/or gender'. And I bet these landlords are violating them by giving these dwellers slum buildings to live in.
"Alright we're going to surround and drown the fire!" Ordered Captain Vintion
The water then flowed and Dave turned the nozzle on and sprayed at the fire that's on the second floor with the straight stream.
Dave then was told that someone was on the fifth floor he decided to go in dispite Captain Vintion telling Dave not to go in and that it's about 2000 degrees if not more. He went in anyway.
It was very hot and the stairwell was like an chimney of heat and his hip boots, rubber jacket with yellow stripes, and air mask felt like it was going to melt to him.
He made it to the fifth floor and he could feel the heat through his fireproof gloves but he found a person in the east facing side in a apartment but their was a very faint pulse in the person.
Dave then got the person up but kept them down because of the heat but apart of the hallway floor collapsed and Dave tried to save the person but he fell out of Dave's grip into orange fire below.
***
Outside.
Dave was sitting on the tailgate of Engine Company Sixteen.
"I've got two things I got to say," said Captain Daniella Vintion, "You got short memory where I said 'We're going to surround and drown the building to douse the fire' it doesn't mean we are going to do search and rescue in 2000 degree fire. So when I say that we're going to surround and drown the fire we are going to do that! Anyone won't survive about five hundred degrees Fahrenheit and at two thousand degrees they're a goner! The second thing is that. We can't save everyone we save who we can and move on. We don't sit back and think of those we could've saved because if we just thought about the what if's and mope around all the time then we won't be able to do our jobs effectively!"
Dave knows that Captain Vintion is right and that moping around won't help him to move on but he has to help others than just crying about something that's out of his hands and to him just a roll of the dice.
***
On the third floor
"You smell that?" asked Captain Vintion
Dave replied, "Gasoline maybe Diesel fuel mixed with somekind of gelling agent. That's how Napalm is made. Maybe that's why the fire was hard to put under control and why it was so hot,"
"Yeah whatever," said Captain Vintion unimpressed.
Dave then moved some things around even a couch that was heavily charred and burnt badly.
"Alright besides going in to save the person which pissed you off," said Dave, "What else did piss you off?"
"It's nothing," said a annoyed Captain Vintion
Dave replied, "Even though I'm a Probie but it's not 'I'm fine' and in my experience just festering something inside isn't healthy and whatever is eating at you sooner or later you'll reach a point where you'll snap at your friends or loved ones."
"And your point?" asked Captain Vintion
Dave replied, "Whatever is eating up at you instead of festering inside it's better to let it out than just letting it be inside where one day you'll snap at someone and it'll be at a loved one or a friend. I had anger festering inside of me and when one of my cousins asked how I was I snapped at her and next thing I knew I was flat on my back in the mud,"
"And what does you cousin do?" asked Captain Vintion
Dave replied, "Ah yes Lieutenant Ashley Waterson. She's in the 5th Operations Department Specialized Troopers Battalion. I also got another cousin named Ashley but that's different. She isn't a pushover well no one in my family are pushovers try to make us into pushovers aren't the best thing,"
Captain Daniella then gave a uninterested yawn.
"You asked and I told you," said Dave
***
Back at the firehouse after overhaul and salvage.
"Hey Dave," said Captain Vintion, "The rig looks a little dirty. I want you to wash it. Heck wash them all just to be on the safe side and maintain them,"
Dave replied in his normal Appalachian accent, "You got in Captain,"
Dave used the 1 3/4 attack line and sprayed down the fire engine and scrubbed it and sprayed it down again to get the soap off and made sure to clean the tires as well.
"Don't you think it's a little overkill to make his wash all of the apparatus?" asked another firefighter
Captain Daniella replied, "Nope. It's leadership either follow orders and nothing happens and mess up or failed to do what's been ordered then you'll have to be punished. I gave a order and he didn't follow it and ran in after ordering that we were going to surround and drown the fire. He does it again I'll send him to another firehouse for sometime,"
Captain Daniella then went back to keep writing her report from what happened at the fire and al that.
***
7:30 PM
The fire bell went off again for another fire at 4565 Sunset Street and Capt. Daniella gave a annoyed exhale and slid down the fire pole while Dave hitted his head while he was working on Super pumper twelve but he sat the cab back down because all of the fire apparatus are cab's over engine.
***
At the tenement building again.
Dave stretched the two and a half inch attack hose and went inside.
"Where's the fire at?" asked Dave
Dave looked for the fire but couldn't find the fire so he radioed that the first floor was clear after thoroughly searching through every room and couldn't find or feel the fire through the walls.
Dave then moved to the second floor and he stepped on a tripwire and fire flashed in the hallway.
"Hey Captain got fire up here on the second floor," said Dave into a walkie talkie, "Going to need assistance up here on the second floor south side,"
Captain Daniella replied, "Got it having the 1 3/4th attack line coming in. They'll be with you ASAP,"
Dave tried his best to keep the fire at bay but he then heard a door slam so he went to go and check it out and found a male that's naked and high on PCP.
The guy attacked Dave for no reason and Dave had to attack in self defense but the guy was tough but he found a bat and one swing he knocked the guy out.
Welcome to the city of Empire, Dave thought, Definitely different than the town of Clearlake.
Dave then re-equipped his 2 and a half inch attack line and went back to attack the fire and he kept the water to hit the base of the fire.
***
A hour later
"What the hell started this fire?" asked Dave while overlooking the hallway
"Come on Dave we're heading back to the firehouse," said Captain Daniella, "Hope we don't get another fire or another emergency here,"
***
1:30 AM
It was peaceful and it was quiet but the fire bell went off for a fire at the same tenement. But it must've been rolling due to firehouses 17, 19, 71, and 82 were dispatched as well.
***
Back at the Tenement building.
"It's fully involved," said Captain Daniella, "Alright we're going to surround and drown the building. Hey Dave! Do you hear me! We're not going in this time we are going to surround and drown the fire!"
Dave replied, "Yeah I heard you!"
Dave then stretched the two and a half inch attack line and waited for the Chauffeur to charge it and the Chauffeur/Engineer did and he turned it on so did another firefighter on the nozzle position as well with the 1 3/4 attack line.
Dave as being ordered once he stayed outside and didn't think about going into the tenement building that's fully involved.
***
6:30 AM.
The entire tenement building was charred and their was nothing that could've been saved but they did throw stuff out and they tore down the walls and ceilings to look for hidden fire within the drywalls.
"Hey Captain we need the coroner here asap," said Dave into the walkie talkie he has.
Captain Daniella replied, "What is it?"
"Got some bodies up here," said Dave, "Fifth floor North side in Apartments four, five, and seven!"
Captain Daniella replied, "I'm on my way up,"
Captain Daniella went up to Dave's location and saw dead bodies so she radioed for a medical examiner to come and get the body.
"Engine 1-6 to Main," said Captain Daniella, "Got twelve 10-45 code 1's."
Dave then left the room holding a pike pole.
***
Back at the firehouse.
"Hey Dave are you alright?" asked Captain Daniella
Dave replied, "No not really. I was hoping nobody was in their but it's all a random and can't help others if we can't move past anything but their are people to talk to. But honestly I don't know why I became a firefighter besides to follow in my father's and uncle footsteps and my Grandfather's footsteps. Anything you need Captain?"
"No I'm just asking how you are," said Captain Daniella
Dave replied, "I wish I could help my cousin once removed Raleigh. His wife is in a terrible position of either to keep human workers or to fire them to automate her mines. Alright I'll see you tomorrow Captain,"
Dave then went to his apartment and watched the news of the miners strike and they're protesting because of automation and how their employers are willing to fire people with families and bills to pay just to get a automated machine that can do their job in a fraction of the time. He really felt sorry for them but he also thought about the people he couldn't save in the tenement fires.