You Make the Call...Smoke Showing...What Happened

Seems every time we put a fresh pot of coffee on, something comes in.

In this scenario I was actually the eager young fellow out in front of the station reading the smoke in the early morning hours. I was beside myself when the boss looked over to me and told me we were out of service and there are other companies to cover it. But, the red stuff, it's...red and burning and hot and stuff. Huff.

My jaw was on the floor. I wanted to throw the radios back in our coats and head over there. I don't need my ALS kits at a working fire, that's what ambulances are for.

If you said hang back, you made his call.
However,
If I was in the seat that morning we'd be right back in service on the air and responding if we were due. I think most of us work in a place where if you can see the smoke, chances are you're due.

If you said get off your butt, there's a fire, you made my call.



A quick note on our You Make the Call series. There are often comments about not knowing my situation or my SOPs, etc, etc. The point of these situations is to get us thinking about what WE would do in our own districts with our own SOPs, staffing, equipment, etc. Don't wonder what I did, tell me what YOU would do. Hence the "YOU" Make the Call.

Comments

brendan said…
I guess the difference here is there'd be no stripping, hence far more likely that the crew would respond. The truck goes to the fire department mechanic as is, with the possible exception of medical bags.