CHAPTERTEN
Danny
The firehouse sirenis going off as I pull into the drive with the groceries. Over the intercom, the automated voice is telling us where to go.
Adrenaline.
The greatest high I’ve ever gotten. It flows through my veins as I hear the address of the emergency. My hands shake as I put the truck in park and kill the engine.
Engine one, ambulance three, report to fifteen sixty-eight Red Bird Street. Report of smoke in the kitchen of Sal’s Soup.
My feet are moving as I hit the asphalt, arms pumping. Everyone is getting into their turnout gear. I rush to catch up with them, not wanting to be left out of the rescue. This is the part I live for. Not the recognition, but knowing I’m helping the community.
“Let’s go Rook.” Cameron points his thumb to the back of the engine where my designated seat is.
“Copy that.” I hook the part of the gear I don’t have on over my arm and take it with me to my assigned station. “Let’s go!”
The wheels are in motion before my ass hits the seat. I’m struggling to get different parts of my uniform on and try not to let my frustration show.
“Don’t get too caught up,” Cam advises, watching me with understanding. “You have plenty of time before we get there. We don’t have to be completely suited up when we get into the engine. Calm down, take a breath, and properly put on your equipment.”
Having him here is one of the best parts about being on this shift. In the middle of so much uncertainty, he’s a steady voice. One that knows what he’s doing, understands his men, and doesn’t get overly excited about the small things. When there’s urgency in his voice, we know there’s a reason for it. The adrenaline going through my body slows down slightly, allowing me to place the rest of my gear on correctly.
“There ya go,” he soothes.
I nod, grateful to have a moment to sit down before we get there.
“If you’re too flustered to put your gear on right, what’s going to happen when we get to the fire? Be sure and protect yourself as much as possible. While we do have to hurry in a lot of situations, making sure we’re safe is not one of them,” he reminds me.
It’s a good reminder to have. “Got it.”
My mind is running a hundred miles an hour, thinking about all of the possible situations we might come upon when we get there. There are millions of them and it’s impossible to know what we’re walking into.
“Don’t,” he cautions. “Don’t start playing all the scenarios in your head that you could encounter. When things don’t go your way, you might get frustrated and see options that aren’t there. What I want you to do is trust your gut instinct when we get there. You need to show me what you know, what you can do.”
The nerves roll through my stomach. Will I ever trust myself enough to listen to my gut?
The engine begins slowing down what seems to be miles before we’re at our destination. Since it’s so heavy, it takes a few moments.
Finally coming to a stop in front of Sal’s Soup, I hop out, ready to do what I’ve been trained to. This where instincts seem to always kick in. Perhaps I don’t trust my gut yet, but I do trust my training.
It hasn’t failed me yet.
“Follow Gauge in,” Cam instructs.
There’s a group of what I presume to be customers hanging around outside.
“Were there flames?” Gauge questions, getting a lay of the land.
“No,” one of them answers, “just a ton of smoke coming from the back. We weren’t sure if there was an active fire, but we were working on the assumption there was.”
“Alright,” he nods, “let’s head on in.”
Together, we breach the entrance and get to work. We hunker low to the ground, making our way toward the back.
Being a small town, we don’t get many fires so, when we do, I use them as a learning experience and training exercise. As hard as it is in the thick of the commotion, I try to take in everything going on around me. The only thing I can hear is my own heartbeat in my ears, the sound of the mask helping me breathe.
Gauge turns, touching me on the shoulder and makes a motion toward what I presume to be the kitchen. Nodding, I continue with him. Visually, we make sure there isn’t any fire coming under the door and then we proceed.