May 11, 2019

At the grounds of the former Uranohoshi Girls' High School, the volunteer firefighters of NCFD District 15 gathered for car fire training around 10 in the morning. Station 151 brought with them Pumper 151 with 3 interior volunteers and 2 auxiliary volunteers, Aerial 151 with 2 interior volunteers and 3 auxiliary volunteers, and Ambulance 151A with a paid firefighter, an interior volunteer, and an auxiliary volunteer for a total of 13 firefighters. Station 152 brought with them Pumper 152 with 4 interior volunteers and 1 auxiliary volunteer and Water Tender 152 with 1 interior volunteer and 4 auxiliary volunteers for a total of 10 firefighters. Station 153 brought down Pumper 153 with 2 interior volunteers and 3 auxiliary volunteers. Station 154 brought down Pumper 154 with 3 interior volunteers and 2 auxiliary volunteers. Station 155 brought down Pumper 155 with 3 interior volunteers and 2 auxiliary volunteers and Brush 155 with 2 auxiliary volunteers for a total of 7 firefighters. Station 156 brought down Pumper 156 with 3 interior firefighters and 2 auxiliary volunteers. The volunteers trained every Saturday and Sunday, and were required to attend at least two training sessions per month. Most went to at least 3.

The district fire chief that worked on the shift on duty that day addressed all firefighters outside the front doors of the former school. As they gathered, he said to them, "Alright, folks. Today, we got 4 cars parked in the back of the old school, and we're gonna torch all 4. Car A is a 2004 Nissan Maxima. I'll have Station 151's crew tackle that fire. Car B is a 2000 Nissan Bluebird. I'll have Station 152 take care of that car. Car C is a 2008 Toyota Crown. I'll have Stations 153 and 154 take care of that. Car D is a 2005 Honda Legend. Stations 155 and 156 will take care of that. Your team leaders will work out the details. Good luck, have fun, and learn something."

Several minutes later, You got things started for the crew she was on by throwing a lit flare into the front seat of her crew's car. She then took a plastic 2-gallon can of gasoline and threw it in the back seat of the car before going back to board Pumper 151. She, Kanan, Toshiki, and a volunteer lieutenant named Yamada Masako would be on board the unit along with an auxiliary volunteer who would drive. As she boarded the pumper again, You said to Masako, who was in the front seat, "I lit the flare and threw it in the car, Lieutenant."

"Got it," Masako replied before she began to put her SCBA mask and gloves on. You, Kanan, and Toshiki began to do the same as they also turned their packs on. Once they were all set, Masako said to the driver, "Let's go to that car fire."

Pumper 151 then drove slowly a few yards from the staging area to the scene of the mock car fire. As they did, the gas can exploded once flames reached it, causing the car's windows to shatter and for flames to engulf the inside of the car. They did this to both simulate the effects of a compromised gas tank and to speed up the fire growth. Right after it happened, all 4 interior volunteers aboard jumped out and hooked their masks into their packs.

You and Kanan quickly took two rolls of hose from a side compartment and rolled them out on the ground as Toshiki grabbed the side hard suction hose and a hydrant kit. As he opened up the ground cover for the hydrant and dropped one end of the hard suction hose in, Kanan grabbed two nozzles and ran to the other end of the rolled out hoses to attach them while You and the driver hooked the hoses up to the pump panel. Toshiki then gave a thumbs up to the driver that he was all set with the hydrant before running to Kanan.

You and Masako grabbed one hose while Kanan and Toshiki grabbed another as they moved in. Masako then radioed to the driver as they got to the car, "Pumper 151, go ahead and charge both lines!"

"10-4," the driver replied on the radio. "Here comes your water!"

As both hoses filled with water, Aerial 151 and Ambulance 151 pulled up. Aerial 151's two interior volunteers came off with their masks on as well and grabbed hand tools before going over to the burning car. As Kanan and Toshiki attacked the fire, one of the tires and an airbag exploded at the same time. Masako then said to You, "You-kun, let's approach the car from the opposite side and help them!"

"Got it," You said as they advanced on the fire. As they did, another tire exploded as they opened up their hose line. After about a minute, the fire was largely knocked down, and all that was left was heavy smoke. As sweat ran down You's face within the mask, she continued to pour water into the car.

After about 5 minutes, both teams of two stopped flowing water into the car so they could let the two interior volunteers from Aerial 151 use a rotary saw to open up the engine compartment of the car. As they cut into the metal, sparks flew everywhere. Once they made two cuts, they put the saw down and used two halligan bars to pop open the engine compartment. Once it was opened all the way, Kanan and Toshiki sprayed it down with water as You and Masako put their hose down and grabbed the rotary saw. "We're gonna cur the trunk open now," the lieutenant said as she pointed to the back of the car.

You held the saw as she began to cut into one side of the back of the trunk's lid. After she made that cut, she went to the other side and made the same cut. Once both cuts were made, they used the same halligan bars from before to pop open the trunk. You thought to herself, "Yet another day here in Uchiura, I suppose."


At 9 at night, Kanan talked to Mari over FaceTime. It was 1 in the afternoon over in Italy, where Mari was going to college. "That sounds exciting," Mari replied to Kanan telling her about car fire training. "I heard from Dia-chan that Ruby wants to join you guys."

"Oh yeah," Kanan replied. "She turned in an application to us. She should be expecting a call from City Hall soon telling her what to do next."

Mari, wondering what that was, asked her, "What would they tell her to do?"

"They would call her, tell her she got approved, and she would then go get a physical, and once the results from those are back, she would get another phone call telling her to come down to the firehouse on a Saturday or Sunday to get her turnout gear and be introduced to the guys."

"Sounds wonderful," Mari replied as she smiled. "She's growing up pretty fast, huh? I still remember when she was a shy middle schooler."

"Yeah," Kanan replied. Then, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of her pager. "Speaking of that, I gotta go. Bye, Mari." She then turned off FaceTime as she grabbed her pager and ran out of her house.

"Numazu City Fire Alarm for Station 151, Station 156, and District 15's Chief, respond to [ADDRESS REMOVED] on Prefectural Route 130 for a high-mechanism motor vehicle accident involving two cars," the dispatcher read out over the radio on her pager. "One car is flipped over on its side, and a caller is reporting that the occupants inside are unable to get out at this time. Police will also be en route. Your time is 21:06 hours, dispatcher 89."

As Kanan ran out of her house down the street, she saw an ambulance pull out of the fire station as the siren on the station's roof blared. She also saw another volunteer firefighter run out of his house to the station. As she ran into the station, she looked at the clock and saw it had been 3 minutes since the call came in. As she began to put her bunker gear on, You ran into the station as well. As they both zipped up their coats and grabbed their helmets, they heard Rescue 151 and Ambulance 151B start up. Kanan immediately ran to Rescue 151 and grabbed a seat in the back, while You went to Ambulance 151B and got a seat up front. She said to the driver, "Any updates on the crash?"

"Police are on scene," the driver replied. "The overturned car is crushed. It doesn't sound good."

"Shit," You replied as she radioed out, "Fire Alarm, Ambulance 151B is out with 3." The ambulance then pulled out of the fire station. Rescue 151 then pulled out half a minute later with 5 firefighters aboard.

3 and a half minutes later, Ambulance 151B, followed by Rescue 151, pulled up to a horrific scene. The first car was off to the side of the road, its engine compartment crushed beyond recognition. The driver was out of the car with his passenger, and both were laying on the ground and being attended to by the paid firefighters. Neither of them appeared to have life-threatening injuries. The second car was flipped over on its roof and badly damaged. Firefighters from Pumper 156 and Brush 156 were stabilizing the car with hand tools.

Kanan and Toshiki jumped off of Rescue 151 together and immediately opened up a compartment that carried a set of jaws. Kanan grabbed the spreaders while Toshiki pulled out the cutters. The driver of the rescue then pulled the slide out tray that held the hydraulic engine that powered the jaws and pulled a rip cord to turn it on. As Kanan and Toshiki put their tools down, You and several other firefighters grabbed chocks and cribbing to be used to stabilize the car further.

As You looked into the car, she saw that both patients were not moving. She then noticed something and said, "Oh my God..." The front seat passenger was missing most of his face, while the driver's right eye was hanging out of his eye socket. In the back, the passenger there had a crushed face, indicating he had been thrown into the front passenger seat when the crash occurred. "That's awful," she said to herself.

By now, three more ambulances were on the way from other fire stations in the city. A police officer asked the driver of the other car, "Sir, why did we smell alcohol in your car?"

"Alcohol," the driver groggily replied. "What do you mean, alcohol?" He then laughed. "There was none."

"You're lying," the officer replied as he pulled out a broken bottle of sake taken from his car. "Explain why we found this smashed sake bottle in your car then."

"That was just in there, I guess." He then laughed again. "Agh... Now I feel the pain..."

"That's what I thought," the officer replied. He then turned to a firefighter treating him, saying, "Once you're ready to transport, I'll go with you." He then turned back to the driver. "Sir, when you arrive at the hospital, I'm going to place you under arrest for driving while intoxicated and for reckless endangerment. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"

"Yes," the driver replied as the full weight of his actions began to dawn on him. "I do understand, officer."

At the same time, firefighters were able to pop open the door of the overturned car with the spreaders, causing it to fall to the ground. Kanan and You then reached into the car and carefully removed the driver before lowering him onto a backboard. As they did, blood poured from his wounds onto their bunker gear. The man's eye still hung out of his eye socket as they noticed most of the fingers on his right hand were shredded to the bone. You thought to herself, "Ugh, this sucks. There's no way this guy's gonna make it. He's too fucked up from the crash."