So, today started out like any other ordinary day at work. We did our station duties, washed and cleaned the trucks, and got some lunch. About 3:00 pm, I was just waking up from a short nap, when the tones go out - 2nd alarm request for commercial building fire in Cumberland Cirlce. Units on scene in offensive mode, smoke and flames showing!!
YEE HAW!! I happened to be on the Quint today (this is a ladder truck) They needed a medic (that's me), so there I was suiting up heading to a fire as an actual truckie! Truckie is a term for a person on a ladder truck. Typically, their primary job is search and rescue or overhaul.
We get on scene and it was a madhouse, there had to be at 10 other engines, rescues, district chiefs and ladder trucks on scene. Since this call was in the city, I think their entire fleet of engines was on scene. We got there and staged, then immediately got called in to assist. I packed out in my full bunker gear with my SCBA bottle, helmet and mask, grabbed a pike pole and followed my lieutenant down to the scene. We reported to command and were given the task of making entry on the AB side of the building to look for fire extension. We saw a few flames, but most of everything was in the attic.
We withdrew from there and I got on the nozzle outside for a defensive attack. Since there had already been a ceiling collapse, they called for evacuation and were turning to defensive mode. My crew got called to go in with E2 and pull the ceiling in the adjoining apartment and to see if the firewall was still intact. We grabbed our pike poles and pulled ceiling down in the kitchen until we saw flames then we directed the hose streams and put out the flames. Next we headed into the garage that was next to the kitchen and made entry into the attic where we found some more flames and knocked those down too!
At this point one of the guys on my crew stated that he was low on air and I could hear his low-air alarm going off, so the three of us exited the building and made our way over to rehab to doff our gear and grab some waters.
There were people everywhere! I guess the residents of this neighborhood don't work, so everyone that was home was out watching us put out this fire. After we left rehab, my crew and I relocated to a short wall across from the fire building to wait for our next assignment. I noticed a gentleman sitting next to me watching everything unfold, so I asked him if that was his apartment. He said yes, and looked down. I didn't know what to say, so I told him at least he was OK. He agreed and said that everything in their could be replaced.
Since the fire was coming under control and their were so many people on scene, we were cut loose and we grabbed our gear and headed back to the station so we could put our truck back into service. We had bottles to refill, gear and tools to clean, and dinner to cook.
Below is a picture of the fire scene that was posted in the Gainesville Sun. The Cooper Mini was in the garage and two of the crews pushed it out so they could fight the fire that was in the attic. Five minutes after they pushed it out, the ceiling collapsed in the garage. Talk about a great save!!
Our fire even made TV20 news at 5:30 and 6:00!!! I would have to say that it was a good day!
2 comments:
That was so exciting to read. I had to make myself read every word because I wanted to skip ahead to the end! Awesome job, I'm proud of you.
LOL, I had to read it over like 3 times to make sure that I didn't leave anything out. Then I read it backwards just to make sure it sounded ok.
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