“Don’t need soap when you bathe in Axe body spray,” I commented as Sully stalked over to examine the pot and what was inside. “Chili. Don’t pick the beans out this time.”
“Too much fiber makes me?—”
Whatever Sully was about to say was cut short by the familiar sound of a fire alert coming in. Red lights, which were in every room and hallway, as well as the engine bay, flared to life as the call for a structure fire from dispatch blared through the station.
Station Eight, Ladder Ten, structure fire, 1319 Kennedy Road. Time out seventeen thirty.
That announcement was followed by two loud, attention-grabbing, high-pitched tones that sent us scurrying. After I turned off the stove because… yeah, let’s not set the fire station on fire. That would be embarrassing. We moved with purpose. Ideally, we were to have our gear on and be on the engine in one to two minutes. Turnout gear was hastily donned, and apparatus was loaded onto the engine based on the type of call we were heading out to face. The details of the fire were simultaneously being fed into a mobile data terminal in the fire engine as well as on monitors in the station. Sully gave us a brief as Morgan leapt into the driver’s seat and let dispatch know we were responding. Lights and sirens were turned on as the doors opened automatically.
After making a sharp left, which would hold up traffic on University Street for a few minutes, we passed the huge Langley Fiber Optic Factory across the street from the station. My brother had lots of friends who worked there. Morgan’s wife was an employee there as well. Once we were clear of the first red light, we rolled with speed. Incoming information was passed on to us as we sped to the fire. Building type, trapped individuals,basic but important information. Locations of hydrants rolled in as well, which was crucially important.
Cornish Iron, a gym, a single structure but close to other buildings that could also become engulfed. Unknown if any persons are inside the building, but that will be assessed more closely upon arrival. Valuable time ticked by as we nudged our way through heavy traffic to the site of the fire. Thick black smoke was evident from blocks away. Sitting behind Morgan and Sully in our designated seats, strapped in tightly, we finished gearing up.
Arriving first, Morgan took an inside spot so we could pull the appropriate lines without interfering with incoming units, such as emergency medical personnel. Since it was a one-story building, there was no real need for a hook and ladder at this call.
Sully had already given us our orders and directions. As incident commander, we all relied on him to manage risk while coordinating our tasks. Morgan, as the driver, would operate the fire pump, while Tim and Courtney were the attack team, handling the hoses and advancing the line to extinguish the fire. Sully and I would be search and rescue. Our brothers and sisters from other stations would arrive soon and take up details such as ventilation and backup.
The front door was locked. People on the sidewalk were directed to stay clear of the structure by Sully as I put my forcible entry training skills to work. With one swing of an axe, the glass door shattered. A whoosh of fresh air raced into the building, feeding the flames that were slowly engulfing the back wall of the gym. The room was thick with smoke.
I took two steps into the gymnasium and began shouting as the wail of ambulances could be heard.
“Anybody in here?” I yelled while Sully backed me up. It was hard to hear over the steady peal of sirens as well as thecacophony of noise from the fire itself along with my SCBA mask. Add in the cracking and popping of timbers, the dull roar of the flames, and water hissing, hearing is damn difficult, but I managed to catch someone yelling.
“Help!” a man called out.
“Where are you?” I shouted in reply, moving forward one step at a time, my sight limited by smoke as thick as my broccoli cheddar soup. Nowhere as tasty though.
“In the back. Help!” He sounded frantic now.
“Can you move toward my voice?”
“No, my leg… it’s under… ” Whatever he said next was lost in the noise of my mask. Damn it. Sully tapped me on the shoulder and pointed forward. I checked the ceiling. It looked sound yet, so we moved in tandem, taking one step then another.
“Shout so I can find you!” I bellowed and got a call I could follow to the back corner of the gym. There I found a young man, maybe early twenties, pinned under the arms of a treadmill. There was a dog with him, a black Labrador, wearing a harness that showed he was an assistance dog of some sort.
“Lie still. We’re going to get you out of here,” I said as Sully tried to call the lab away from its owner. It wouldn’t move. Based on the way she held her position, body angled toward the victim, it was too deliberate for a spooked animal. Sully and I righted the massive treadmill with a grunt, flames now dancing closer than I liked. The man wiggled back like a crab, grabbing hold of his dog and favoring his right leg.
“Is there anyone else in here?”
“No. We were expecting an electrician to fix some faulty lights, but he didn’t get here yet.”
Ah, well, perhaps that was a notable thing to pass along to the fire inspector when he arrived. Electrical issues were the bane of many a firefighter.
“Are you able to walk?” I asked and got a shaky nod before he shook his head. A beam overhead made an ominous sound. Probably weakening due to fire damage and water weight. “Okay, I’ll carry you out. My captain will take your dog.”
“Sable. Her name is Sable. It’s forty-two steps to the front door,” the man said as he released the lab to allow Sully to pick her up. Her gaze stayed on her owner. Taking care not to jostle his leg more than needed, I hoisted him up to stand. He leaned into me instantly, his right leg unable to support him by the looks.
There wasn’t time for a medical assessment of his leg. I ran a gloved hand over it. He hissed when I touched his knee but didn’t yell out, so I made the call his leg wasn’t broken. If I were wrong, he could sue me later.
“Lean on me,” I said, sliding my arm around his waist to take most of his weight onto me. We went towards the front door, slowly, with Sully leading the way with the worried dog. “Almost there.” I could have done a back strap carry, but he was a big guy, solid, not fat but tall and muscular, yet he seemed able to move through the pain.
He coughed, a sharp rasp that made me wince. The exit was right in front of us now. Fresh air rolling in to help clear my vision. We limped out onto the sidewalk, him at my side, Sully in front of me. Paramedics rushed to meet us once we cleared the fire line, lifting him out of my grip, but he clung to me like a leech. Poor guy was probably in shock.
“The paramedics will take over now. You’re in good hands, sir.”
“Chip. My name is Chip Cornish. It’s my gym. My dog is Sable. Can she ride with me? Please?”
“That’s up to the paramedics, Chip, but I would imagine so. She’s your service animal.” Chip tried his best to peer into my helmet as I gently helped him onto the gurney. He couldn’t seethe lower half of my face, but he could easily see my eyes and the bridge of my nose.
