For the most part fire fighters need to wait around before they are able to do their job. And when we are called on it usually means that something bad has happened......so not being needed is actually a good thing for others. We all need to feel relevant though, and last week we got exactly that. The tones went off at 2:30 for a rubbish fire, not the type of thing you get all that excited for. In fact it is pretty easy to get non-chalant and question why we need full turn out gear on for that. When we pulled up to the flaming garbage can however, the driver noticed smoke pouring out of a garage two homes back. He stepped on the federal and air horn and threw the truck in reverse. The noise woke up the 5 people in the house and sent them scurrying out the windows to avoid the smoke filled hall.
Luckily we were all prepared in our turnout gear and wearing our scba because we needed to act fast. An off gassing propane tank was rapidly spreading the fire in a garage and basement filled with junk. I hand bombed a hydrant while my partner tried to extinguish the fire. After about 10 minutes we were able to get the fire knocked down and the tank taken out to the yard without doing too much damge to the house. It was a good lesson in never ttaking a minor call for granted and always being aware of your surroundings.
We went to Lily Point with Rob and Mielle and their kids today. It was gorgeous down there. The kids explored in the tidelands and swung on the rope swing while the adults drank beer and sat by the fire that Eric had rekindled from the night before.
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