Dear Marty

Dear Marty,

I know it's been a while since I've written you, or talked…but as you know the life of a firefighter is often unpredictable, and I've been quite busy with work. Before I delve into the goings on in my own life, I should ask you how things are going with you.

Mom and Dad tell me that you and Stephanie are doing well, and that you may even be proposing to her soon. I think that would be great. At least one of us should be settling down and attempting to give Mom and Dad grandkids…and it sure isn't gonna be me, at least not for a while. Stephanie is a great girl…you are lucky to have found someone who is willing to put up with you. Everyone knows that us Stoker boys aren't exactly the most open or talkative.

How you ended up in Buffalo, New York I will never know. Explain to me again, why you wanted to give up the fun and sun of Los Angeles for the cold snowy winters of Buffalo? Oh yeah…you met Stephanie, and it was love. I really am happy for you.

Okay, how am I doing you are probably wondering? I am doing pretty well. As I mentioned before, work has me quite busy. We just got a new captain at the station…Hank Stanley. He seems like a good guy. He's got a lot of experience, and seems to be a better fit for our crew. No offense to Captain Hammer, but he was very old school, and not a lot of fun at the station. Mind you, I do realize that we are all there to do our jobs, and not to socialize, but the saying "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" holds up quite well in this situation. Captain Stanley lets us be who we are…good, bad, or indifferent.

The guys I work with are all unique. They are a good bunch, albeit a bit goofy…mainly Chet Kelly and one of the paramedics John Gage. The two of them seem to have a bit of the proverbial love-hate relationship thing going. They are always arguing. Usually it is Chet who baits Johnny into some kind of silly argument. Johnny is such a goodhearted soul, and a bit gullible, that he falls right into the trap. But, when the chips are down the two of them are always there for one another. Chet tries to give off this air of…for lack of a better word, obnoxiousness, and he's usually pretty good at it, but deep down we all know that he's a teddy bear. Just a few months ago we were at this apartment complex trying to free a little girl who had her arm trapped in the pool drain (I know what you're wondering, but don't ask). While we all did our part during the rescue, it was Chet who stayed with her and kept her calm while the rest of us worked to free her.

Marco Lopez is another one of the guys on the engine. He's a really good guy…very upbeat, and he never gets down about things. We recently got ourselves a new station mascot…a mutt that showed up at the station one day. Johnny named him Boot. Marco is the one who makes sure that the dog is well taken care of. He is also a great cook…easily the best cook on our shift, and probably one of the best in the whole Department. Despite being of Mexican roots, he makes one hell of an Irish stew. The two of us often play chess together…he's pretty good, but not as good as I am.

That takes me to our other paramedic, Roy DeSoto. He's the more experienced member of the two. In fact, as I have heard the story, it was Roy who had convinced Johnny to become a paramedic, and then ultimately become Roy's partner. The two of them, despite being virtually total opposites in personality make a great team. I have nothing but admiration for them, and what they go through on every shift. Working the pumps and driving the engine is a big deal, and I love what I do, but it's not quite the same as what the paramedics do. People's lives are literally in their hands. A couple months ago, Roy had almost left the paramedic program. He was wrongfully blamed for something that happened to a patient…thankfully he came to his senses, and is still a paramedic…he really believes in the program.

So let's see, what else is new here at the station? Recently we had a photo shoot at the station. Several beautiful fashion models posed with our engine. Johnny was chosen to be the featured firefighter in the picture with them, but they also picked me and Roy for the background shots. Ironically after all was said and done, it was Roy who the client wanted featured in the pictures, and not Johnny. We actually all had a big laugh about that, well everyone but Johnny. Johnny's a good looking guy, so he figured that he was a shoe in to do well. Roy on the other hand was chosen, not for good looks, but because he "looked like a firefighter"…and those were the exact words of the client. Go figure.

The most exciting thing for me to happen was that we got a new engine. The crown was retired, and we got a brand spanking new Ward LaFrance engine in its place…and is she a beauty. We all call her Big Red because she is that beautiful. You have to remember, firefighters tend to have very vivid imaginations. And about the same time that we got our new engine, Johnny and Roy bought an old, and I mean OLD engine from a junk yard that we had been at putting out a fire. It's their goal to restore it to its full glory. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens with it. I do have to admit that they have my interest piqued with it. You know how I am about fire trucks, and their history.

Let's go back to Boot for a minute. When he first showed up at our doorstep, he stayed with us for a few hours. He ended up going with us on a rescue at one of the canyons…a fallen hiker. He even helped the paramedics locate the hiker, but after his heroic efforts, he promptly left the scene on a snorkel truck…guess he figured that there'd be a bit more action for him there. However, a few weeks later he again showed up at our station…it really is a dog's world.

So let's see what else happened. Johnny took seriously ill after taking care of a lady with a pet monkey. Apparently the monkey had some kind of infection and passed it along to a few other people. Johnny had collapsed on a rescue…a high one at that, but thankfully he had his safety harness on and was tied off. Fortunately the doctors found the cure in time, and he and one of the doctors who had also become ill with it, were both saved. It was a hard time for all of us to be sure, but it did help to bring our crew closer together.

The last thing I will bring up is the question of women's lib. How do you feel about it, big brother? Are you for it, or not? Well the reason why I ask is because we recently had a woman reporter assigned to our station. Her name was Christie Todd. She had her own views on everything…from cooking and cleaning around the station, to how to put out a fire. She had antagonized the guys for the entire shift, especially Johnny and Chet. However, by the end of that first day, I think she sung a different tune when she realized how close to dying in an explosion Roy and Johnny had both come. If I'm not mistaken, a few days later, Johnny took her out.

Well, Marty I guess that's pretty much all there is to say at this point in time. This is just a little slice of life from my daily grind at good old Station 51. There have been other adventures and near misses, but I'll leave that for another letter or phone call. Just know that I love what I do, and I work with a great bunch of guys.

Please keep me posted on how things go with Stephanie. If you do decide to pop the question, please make sure you call me…a bachelor party will be in order. Take care of yourself, big brother. I'll be in touch. Enjoy the snow that I know is still on the ground. Maybe one of these days I'll have to come out there and do some skiing or something.

Lovingly,

Mike