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“Comm check. Chief, you copy?”
“Copy, Tucker.”
“Copy,” Sam and Brody say, testing their radios as well.
“We’re headed in to do a sweep.”
“I’ll keep you updated on the progress out here.”
“Thanks, Chief.”
We walk toward the side door farthest from the fire, and Brody slams the halligan into it, breaking it open. The three of us walk into the building, the smoke already smothering the inside.
“Sam, cover the north side, Brody the south. I’ll get the east and head into the fire.”
“Copy, Cap,” they say into their radios.
We all head toward our designated areas, calling out to anyone who may still be in the building. Even though the rec center isn’t open, there is always the possibility of someone still being in the building. It’s easy to pass out from smoke inhalation. Our job is to make sure no one gets left behind.
I walk down the white-walled hallways, the smoke floating around me as I yell out for someone to call if they need help. It’s dead quiet in the building, which can sometimes feel a little eerie.
I clear my section and start toward the fire, opening doors to offices and checking the rooms for possible occupants. I haven’t heard anything from Sam or Brody, but that’s a good thing. If I had, they’d have found someone.
The heat of the blaze has grown, its intensity building rapidly the longer we’re inside the building.
“Fire department, call out!” I yell, in case there’s someone in the building who needs help. The temperature continues to rise the closer I get to the epicenter.
I open an office door, and the smoke is thick, making visibility low. Crouching low and working to see through the smoke, a shoe under the desk catches my eye. I rush over to the man lying on the ground. It looks as if he stood up from his desk and then immediately passed out.
“I’ve got a body.” I feel his pulse thrumming strong under my gloved hand. “Out cold but alive,” I say into my radio so the chief can relay info to the paramedics.
I try to wake the guy up but he’s unresponsive. I’m going to have to carry him out. I reach under his shoulders and lock my arms around his torso, pulling him from the office and into the hall.
Flames are billowing down the walls now, steadily creeping closer toward the middle of the rec center. I’m baking in my turnout gear as I pull the vic down the hallway, seriously glad I warmed up earlier in the gym.
It’s going to take a while to carry this guy to the east exit, but it’s the closest point not currently up in flames. Luckily, Sam meets me in the middle of the rec center and grabs our vic’s legs, helping to take his weight.
We carry him out of the building where the paramedics are waiting by the door with a stretcher on the ground. Sam and I put the guy down, and the medics wheel him to the ambo. We head back inside because there are still a few more rooms to clear before we’re done.
Catching up with Brody, the three of us walk back toward the west side where the blaze is the most intense. It’s suffocating how intense the fire is, but we push through, making sure no one else is inside.
I open the door to the next office, and the fire explodes out of the doorway, knocking me backward.
“Fuck!” I yell, and Sam comes over to me, making sure I’m okay. “I’m good, the blast just kicked the shit out of me.”
Flames are rolling across the ceiling like a dance of orange and red, but we still walk into the room, ensuring it’s empty. We meet back up with Brody when he’s cleared the rest of the rooms.
“Building’s clear, Chief,” I say over the comms.
“Copy that. Get out of there.”
We step outside into a flurry of activity as everyone works to put out the fire. It’s spread but hasn’t gotten out of hand, which is a miracle. Hopefully, we can still salvage some of the building.
We’ll have fire analysts come in later to figure out how it started, which always fascinates me. Even the most up-to-date building can have something like this happen. Most of the time, it’s no one's fault. Every now and then you’ll have a fire caused by someone, but usually, it’s an accident, like the guy the other day who dropped his cigarette in his shed not knowing there was gas on the floor. More than likely, this was caused by something electrical.
I see Charlie and Rodney working together on the hose, blasting the flames with expert precision. A little pride runs through me when I watch my guys work effortlessly together. We have such a great team, which is why we don’t let just anyone join.
We’re a family, and a new person can disrupt our dynamic quickly.
