FireGirl: Bread and Butter
Part 1
"Gale, can't you drive any faster?" I pestered.
"What's your hurry?" Gale asked.
"Probie's cooking breakfast. I don't wanna miss it."
"I don't know what the big deal is."
"You're just jealous because we got a probie in the house who went to the Culinary Institute of America. He's making Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Scramble this morning. It is a tasty mix of scrambled eggs, cheese, and pieces of bacon. Great for a Monday morning family breakfast! He's going to use as much of whatever type of cheese he wants."
Gale's mouth opened wide. "Where did all that come from?"
"I checked his recipe calendar last week."
"Okay little miss carnivore. Here's your stop. Have a good day. Be safe."
"You too. Thanks for driving today." I walked through the open bay door of Truck 17. My mouth watered when I smelled breakfast cooking in the kitchen. Bacon hit me first. "YUM!" A strong breeze brushed me aside. "Bear! Watch it!"
"Gonna beat you to breakfast little lady!" My partner, Bear, was large enough to generate hurricane force winds big enough to move me. "Hey! Wait up!" We charged into the kitchen; unfortunately, it wasn't ready. "Breakfast will be ready at nine." I slumped my shoulders; all the wind was taken from my sails. "I guess I'll go change." Bear sat at the table with his knife and fork ready. "Bear, you gonna get ready?"
"I'm already ready. I'll just wait here."
"Okay, be down soon." The second story of the firehouse held the offices, the bunk room, the showers, and the locker room. Since there are only two females in the firehouse we have our own changing room, a converted men's bathroom. They built a shower in one of the stalls and the only odd thing were the urinals hanging on the wall. "Maybe I could use them as planters." I pondered.
I shuffled into the kitchen and took in the bacon smell. Bear got up from his seat. "Finished already Bear?"
"That was his third helping." Captain Reynolds said. Where did he pack it? I held my plate out. "Just one helping Probie."
...gong ...gong ...gong "Truck's going!" Lew called out. "Damn, breakfast will have to wait." I said.
Manhattan to Truck 17
17 Truck
Report of a structure fire, Clarkson between Greenwich and Hudson. I'll send you the exact address as soon as we get it
17 Truck 10-4
Battalion 2, we're getting multiple calls. You got a 3 and 2 response
Battalion 2 10-4
"What do we have?" I asked as we mounted the rig.
"Sounds like a worker." We got on the ladder truck and went the few blocks to the apartment house. You could see the smoke pushing out of the windows. It was on the sixth, the top floor. We pulled in front of the building after the engine dropped off its crew and hose. They rolled up the block to hit the hydrant. "I'm right behind you Bear." I grabbed the irons and followed Bear and Lew up the stairs.
Tenants came out of their apartments and asked what was going on. "Go back inside, we'll take care of it." Smoke was seeping out of the bottom of one of the doors. Lew walked over to the door and felt it with the back of his hand. "Ready?" I nodded yes. I put my Halligan between the door and the jam. "HIT!" Bear drove it in with the flathead axe. "HIT!" It went deeper. I pried the door open, and the smoke spewed out of the opening. "One more time. HIT!" It went deeper, and I pushed until the locks broke and the door snapped open. Smoke billowed into the hallway making visibility hard. Lew grabbed the bottom of the door and closed it.
"Mask up." It was just habit that he told us to go on air; we knew. Lew opened the door and we crawled in. In front of us was the kitchen; flames were licking the ceiling. We were low because it was 900 degrees near the ceiling; it was only a toasty 150 on the floor. Bear pulled the door to the kitchen shut to help contain the fire. "TO THE RIGHT!" Lew pointed in the direction that the bedrooms were. I could only see a foot in front of me, I kept feeling for Bear's foot.
Lew found the first bedroom. Bear and I entered it. we searched it by sweeping the floor with our hand and tools. I checked the closet and Bear searched under the bed. Nothing but clothes, shoes and the other clutter people collect. I smacked him on the back; I was ready to move on.
"I CHECKED THE BATHROOM, NOTHING! GO CHECK THE OTHER BEDROOM!" Lew said. I crawled in to the right and Bear to the left. We did the same again. Floor, bed, under and closet. "NOTHING! LET'S GO!" First came the roar, then flames shot across the ceiling. Smoke that filled the room blinded us. "MAYDAY! MAYDAY!" Came over the radio. "THIS IS 17. 17 IRONS AND CAN ARE TRAPPED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COLLAPSE." I crawled over to the door, and debris blocked our passage. "CLOSE IT KAT!" I closed the door, trapping us in the bedroom. ...smash...smash...smash. Bear broke all the windows with his hook. The smoke cleared the room quickly, and we could stand. We looked and saw we weren't in the room with the fire escape. "Shit." I said. "17 Can and Irons are trapped." Bear called on the radio.
Chief, you copy. Two members are trapped in the bedroom.
"At least Lew is okay." Bear said
Battalion 2 to 17 Can. What's you're situation?
We're safe for the moment. The fire is right outside the door.
10-4. Rescue 2, you on the roof yet?
Rescue 2 Delta to Battalion. 10-4
Bear looked at me and smiled. "That's your boyfriend, right?"
"That's Gale, but he's not my boyfriend." Bear chuckled. I walked to the window and looked up. I saw Gale and a couple of other members on the roof looking down.
Rescue 2, lower some rope to two members trapped.
Rescue 2 Delta, 10-4.
We pulled our masks off and straddled the windowsill. "We'll be fine." Bear said, but I knew that already. Gale was the best rigger I knew. I'd easily put my life in Gale's hands. I've watched him tie knots for trapping since I was twelve. Different knots now, same nimble fingers. "I know."
"Hey, you girls need help." Gale spotted Bear. "Oh sorry Bear."
"It's getting pretty hot in here Gale. Do I need to come up there and show you how to tie a knot?"
"Katniss, if you were up here we wouldn't have to rescue you!"
"He's right Kat." I took a deep breath. "I know. But he'll never let me forget that he had to come to my rescue." I looked up again. "Any day now Gale!"
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, we're almost ready." Just then 2 ropes came over the side. "Lower yourself down to the fifth floor."Gale yelled. We wrapped the rope around the d-ring on our ladder belts. Bear looked at the door. "Katniss, hurry!" The door blew open and fire screamed across the ceiling.