A/N: 4/15/2015- This is a revised version of the story. I corrected errors in spelling, grammar, continuity, and format. I didn't change any plot points, but I made changes in some dialogue. Enjoy FireGirl v 3.0

A/N: This story contains explicit language and is a tough subject.

This is a Katniss AU.

The italics are the actual radio transmissions between Manhattan dispatch and units in the field. Manhattan dispatch is precessed with ...

Not all radio transmissions are included.

Everything else is fictional dialog. The times are approximate times from the first radio call by the First battalion.

Chapter 7 is a glossary of firefighting terms

Chapter One 08:40 AM to 09:03 AM

The long shift and our last job knocks me out. Thank God I've only got only twenty minutes left. "Hi, Lew. Have you had any breakfast? Probie is quite a cook." I make myself a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon.

"I know, I had his lasagna the other night," Lew says as he makes himself a plate. "Doing anything today?" He asks.

"Just sleeping. I'm tired from last night's job."

My name is Katniss Everdeen, and I'm a firefighter with the FDNY in lower Manhattan. My company is Seventeen Truck. I've been with the department for a little more than four years. I grew up in a firefighting family. My dad was a firefighter. Both my grandfathers were and a couple of cousins and uncles. I was a firehouse brat. And much to the chagrin of my mom, I took the test, got on the list, was called and joined.

Battalion One to Manhattan.

...Battalion One.

We just had a plane crash into the upper floors of the World Trade Center. Transmit a second alarm and start relocating companies into the area.

...Ten-four Battalion One.

Battalion one is also sending this assignment from this box to that area. K 00:00

Lew calls out. "Come on everyone. We're rolling. A plane into one of the towers." Firefighters pour down the stairs and the firepole.

"Must be a small private plane. Maybe the pilot lost control."

They run to the wall where we store our gear. "Or the pilot had a heart attack or something."

I put on my gear in the same order I do every time we get a call. My feet in the boots, I pull up my bunker pants and put the suspenders on my shoulders. Then my Nomex hood, my jacket and I grab my helmet.

Engine Six to Manhattan K.

...Engine Six

The World Trade Center Tower Number One is on fire. The whole outside of the building. There was just a huge explosion.

...Ten-four. All companies stand by at this time.

Transmit a second alarm for that box immediately.

...Ten-four. 00:30

"That doesn't sound like a small plane. Let's hurry everybody. Let's go. Let's go" Lew calls out. We run into the street to stop traffic. Bobby pulls the ladder truck out. Bobby Gordon is our chauffeur. He's more than a driver. He's responsible for getting us and our one hundred foot rear mount ladder truck and all its equipment to the scene safely. And he has a perfect record. I don't worry when he's driving.

We get on and go over our assignments. The boss is Lew. That's not his name but his title. He's Lieutenant Jerry Silvio, and he's five years from retiring to his boat. He talks about it so often that I have a perfect picture of it in my mind even though I've yet to see it. The crew is in the back. We rotate jobs every day. Today Danny Murphy, Murph, is the Roof. In a normal fire, his job is to vent the roof by opening scuttles and skylights or even cutting a hole in it. You have to get the smoke and heat out to operate safely inside.

His partner is Jonsie, John Jones. He's the OV, outside vent. He vents the windows when needed. These two guys work as a team either on the roof or on the side of the building. They both carry a six-foot hook and a halligan. Thomas O'Connell is my partner today. His nickname is Bear. And for good reason, he's huge. He has almost a foot on me. He's the Can-Man. He carries a two and half-gallon fire extinguisher, the can, and a six-foot hook.

And finally me. Today I'm the Irons. I carry the forced entry tools. A flat head ax and a halligan. Bear, the boss and I are the inside team. We force entry, find the fire, confine or darken it, search for victims and rescue them if needed. This is what we would do if we were going to a bread and butter fire. But this is different.

Engine Ten to Manhattan

...Engine Ten

Engine Ten. World Trade Center, ten-sixty. Send every available ambulance to the World Trade Center. Send everything you got to the World Trade Center now.

...Ten-four. A ten-sixty has been transmitted for the World Trade Center. 01:30

"Did you hear him. Every ambulance. This is gonna be huge" Murph says and then asks "Is this Ninety-three again?"

Bear sticks his out of the window. You can see the smoke rising in the sky. "No this sounds worse." Bear responds.

"Bear, were you there?" Murph asks him.

"Yeah. I was there. Katniss. Katniss!" He hits my arm. "Everdeen!"

I grab my arm. He kinda hurt it, but I don't dare show him he hurt me. "Yeah, Bear."

"Listen. You stick by my side. Got it?"

"Yeah, Bear. I got it. We're partners. I Know."

Battalion One to Manhattan.

...Battalion One K.

We have a number of floors on fire. It looks like the plane was aiming towards the building. Transmit a third alarm. We'll have the staging area at Vesey and West street. Have the third alarm assignment go into that area. The second alarm report to the building K.

...Ten-four. Second alarm assignment report to One World Trade Center. Third alarm transmitted Box 8087 for One World Trade Center. 2:00

As we turn the corner the Tower comes into view. And the scope of the incident is now in focus. "Oh my God, look at it." I say. Smoke engulfs the upper fourth of the building. I've seen smoke pushing out of windows, but never with the ferocity that I'm seeing now.

"Holy shit!"

"Oh, the people. What are they going to do?"

"Holy shit!"

"This is not good."

"Holy shit!"

Squad One-Eight to Manhattan K.

...Squad One-Eight

If the First Battalion transmitted that it looked like it was intentional inform all units that it might be a terrorist act.

...Ten-four. 2:30

Jonesie smacks his hand against the truck door. "I knew it. Those sons of bitches did it again. I knew they would!" He says. He was there in ninety-three also. It took hours to get all the people out. I don't think we'll have that much time this time today.

Rescue Two to Manhattan.

...Rescue Two K.

Are we assigned on your box in lower Manhattan?

...Stand by.

Division One to Manhattan K.

...Division One K.

Division is responding. Have another rescue start out

...Ten-four. Rescue Two start out for box 8087 K.

Rescue Two responding K. 3:30

"Was that Rescue Two?" I ask.

"Yeah." Bear looks at me with the look of a concerned father. "He's a good firefighter. He'll be safe." That didn't seem to ease my mind. I'll still worry.

Division One to Manhattan.

...Division One go with your message.

What's the response for this right now?

...Division One you now have a third alarm assignment to the box K.

Division One ten-four. That's now confirmed. We have fire on the several floors, the upper floors of the World Trade Center.

...Ten-four Division One. 4:15

As we arrive it looks like a snow storm. The sky is full of paper. "Listen up. Stick together. Alright. Get your tools and let's go. Bear, bring the ram." I grab my irons. Instead of the can Bear grabs another set of irons and the ram. That's a hydraulic door opening tool.

"Got it Lew. Kat, take my hook."

I look up. "What is that?"

"What?"

I point up. "Up there, falling from the building."

"I think... they're people."

"Oh shit people are jumping out!"

"Watch out. Let's go." Lew shouts.

Forty Bravo to Manhattan.

...Forty Bravo.

Forty Bravo is responding to the World Trade Center.

...Ten-four

Forty Adam to Manhattan.

...Forty Adam.

On the way to the Trade Center

...Ten-four

Engine Five-Five to Manhattan.

...Engine Five-Five

Could you please have ambulances respond to West Street. We have several injured people on West Street here.

...Ten-four Engine Five-Five 5:00

We enter the lobby and it looks like the accident took place right there. The windows are all blown out. I look to the right and see the PAPD working on a burn victim. Further over is a burnt dead body with a sheet over it.

"What the fuck happened down here?" Bear asks.

Murph points to the elevator that looks like it was on fire. "I think jet fuel poured down the elevator shaft and exploded."

Lew orders us. "You guys wait here. I'll find out what they want us to do."

"How did Rescue Two get here so fast from Brooklyn?" I ask as I look over and see a tall, very handsome firefighter carrying the Hurst spreaders, the Jaws-of-Life. I look at my friend and manage a small wave. He waves back. Gale and I have been friends since I was eleven. We met at the memorial services for our fathers. They were both firefighters who were killed while operating on the roof in The Bronx at a commercial building. While they were on the roof there was an explosion. The roof collapsed and they didn't stand a chance. Nor did the four others inside who also died. It turns out the landlord stored chemicals illegally in the building. The bastard didn't even get any jail time.

Brooklyn to Manhattan.

...Brooklyn go.

For your information Brooklyn is transmitting a box at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. We will use this as a staging area for apparatus to respond to Manhattan.

...Ten-four 6:10

Division One to Manhattan

...Division One

Have a staging area at the fire scene on West Street. Have all units respond into West Street. Transmit a Ten-Sixty also.

...A Ten-Sixty has been transmitted for Box 8087. All units responding, the staging area is on West Street. 6:25

"Alright guys. Put on your walking shoes. We're walking up."

Wow. I've never walked up eighty flights. We usually operate on six-story walk-ups. With twenty-five pounds of bunker gear, an SCBA weighing twenty-five pounds plus my hand tools; it's a haul to have on your back. But we're all in good shape. It'll take us over an hour to reach the floors on fire. We make our way to the stairwell and we see another problem. We're like salmon going upstream. Us against the flood of people coming down the stairs.

Car Four David to Manhattan

...Car Four David go with your message.

Do we have any report on the fire conditions yet from on-scene personnel.

...Division One reports numerous floors on fire.

Is this a second alarm right now?

...This is a third alarm. A Ten-Sixty's been transmitted.

Four David ten-four 7:06

"Bear."

"Yeah Kat."

"What's our job today?"

"Rescue. Just help the people out."

"That's what I thought." Bear is a brother firefighter and more. When I first arrived at the company the firefighters weren't cruel to me like men were to other female firefighters. They just treated me like a little sister or a mascot. They rarely gave anything to do. Just get me this or get me that. On one day in a building with a light smoke condition, we were walking through looking for the source of the smoke. I was there because I couldn't get in any trouble in light smoke. Suddenly everything went south. We had to get out and get out fast. We had walked through a series of doors and we really didn't know the way out. I knew though. Bear said lead the way. So I did. We got out safely. After that Bear let be known that I was a firefighter and should be treated so. Not as a little sister but a sister firefighter.

Rescue Three to Manhattan. On your frequency. 7:14

Marine One to Manhattan K.

...Marine One.

Be advised we're responding in the river for water supply. You have visible flames from this side of the building.

...Ten-four. Incoming units be advised visible flames from the side of the building. 7:25

Rescue Four to Manhattan K.

...Rescue Four.

Rescue Four's responding. On your frequency.

...Ten-four 8:23

Katniss, are you sure this is what you want to do?" That's what my boyfriend, Peeta, said to me on the day I got called to join the department. "Yes, more than anything." I guess it was normal for a thought like that to pop in your head at a time like this.

Normally he'd be in the area at work, but he is with another lawyer at the courthouse in White Plains. That's in Westchester, just north of The Bronx. After graduating law school, he got a job working for one of the city's biggest firms. He has a real future with them. Not bad for the son of the local baker from the little town of Panem in upstate New York. It's not really upstate as compared to Rome or Rochester but it's still 60 miles northwest of the city. We knew each other in grade school and high school. He always had a crush on me. I would constantly see him catching a glimpse of me. It wasn't til we were sixteen that he got up the nerve to ask me out. It was love at third date. We've been together ever since. Because of our different schedules I haven't seen him in three days.

Battalion Seven.

...Battalion Seven go with your message.

Whatever it was hit the north side of the building. Fire is venting from at least one floor. Heavy smoke all over the top of the building approximately the ninety something floor K.

...Ten-four.

...Manhattan calling Division One K.

Division One to Manhattan. Go ahead.

...Division One. We're receiving reports of people trapped on floor one-zero-six. Numerous people trapped on floor one-zero-six.

Ten-four. We have units on the way up now. We're reporting the fire on the seventy-eighth floor. That's unconfirmed at this time. We're going to need the PD to secure the area around the World Trade Center. We have jumpers coming from the World Trade Center upper floors.

...Ten-four 9:15

Three down, seventy-seven to go. I wonder what we'll find up there. How much is the building damaged? How much time do we have?

Car Three to Manhattan K.

...Car Three go.

Car Three and Car Four are riding together responding down. Transmit a fifth alarm for this box. Get us a staging area chief somewhere on West Street K.

...Ten-four. A fifth alarm has been transmitted for Box 8087 for number One World Trade Center.

Forty Charlie to Manhattan.

...Forty Charlie go.

Forty Charlie is responding. Be advised that you have all boats available for transport in the river and for the rescue.

...Ten-four 11:58

"What happened?" We're asked by a woman in the stairwell.

"A plane accident. Keep walking please."

Four David to Manhattan.

...Four David.

How many rescues do we got here?

...At this time you have three rescues K.

Okay, I want four of the five of them here.

...Ten-four. 12:30

...Box 8087. Reports of smoke eighty-third floor, one-zero-three floor, one-zero-four floor, people trapped on one-zero-six. 13:30

Car Four David to Manhattan.

...Car Four David.

Car Four David is ten-eighty-four at the World Trade Center.

...Car Four David we're getting reports of one-hundred and forth floor backroom thirty people trapped, I also have the hundred and third floor northwest room people trapped, I also have eighty-third floor with people trapped as well.

Car Four-David ten-four. 14:15

Car Nine Charlie to Manhattan.

...Car Nine Charlie.

Go to Fallback Step Three.

...Fallback Step Three has been implemented. 14:30

Car Forty Adam to Manhattan.

...Forty Adam Go.

Would you relocate the only rescue not responding to the Trade Center and put him in Rescue One in Manhattan please.

...Ten-four. 15:00

...Manhattan to Squad Four-One

Squad Four-One

...Relocate to Squad One-Eight

Squad Four-One ten-four

Forty Bravo to Manhattan.

...Forty Bravo go.

Could you confirm that Haz-Mat One is responding to the ten-sixty.

...They've been assigned K.

Haz-Mat One to Manhattan.

...Haz-Mat One.

Yes we're responding. We're just out of the tunnel. Is there a specific route that is set up so emergency vehicles could get through K.

...Stand-by

When we reach the tenth floor the building shakes.

"What the hell is that? Has part of the building collapsed?" Murph asks.

"No. With this building, it'll be all or nothing. It'll pancake down." I reply.

"How do you know?" Jonsie asks.

"I studied the design of this building in college."

Bear pokes me. "She has her degree in civil engineering ya know." Bear adds.

Marine Six to Manhattan urgent. 16:00

9:03 AM