{"id":4767,"date":"2021-07-27T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=4767"},"modified":"2021-10-04T11:10:04","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T15:10:04","slug":"93-my-last-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/93-my-last-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"#93\u2014My Last Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Who said, \u201cThe way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>
  2. In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, \u201cThere\u2019s no place like home.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>
  3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear:
    Too many teardrops for one heart to be crying<\/em>
    Too many teardrops for one heart to carry on<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n
    <\/div>
    Blog #93 (Audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>

    Listen to the audio of this blog, read by Andy Adkins. Click the “Listen<\/em><\/strong>” button below.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    Published: <\/span>October 3, 2021<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>0<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n
    \"Gainesville<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Late Spring 1980. <\/strong>It seemed like a perfectly normal day to me. I didn\u2019t expect anything out of the ordinary to occur. But it so happened it would be the day that I fought my last fire\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After parking my \u201976 Chevy pickup in the back lot, I casually strolled into City of Gainesville<\/a><\/strong> (Florida) Fire Station #1 at 0730. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019d been with the fire department for two and a half years, joining soon after my discharge in July 1977. Since I\u2019d been an aircraft Crash firefighter with the Navy (NAS Agana, Guam<\/a><\/strong> & USS Kitty Hawk<\/a><\/em><\/strong>), it was logical and a simple transition to a city firefighter. My annual salary was a shade over $10,000, slightly up from the $9,600 per year when I started in the Fall of 1977.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    City firefighters (in Gainesville), worked one 24-hour shift, then off for 2 days. \u201cA,\u201d \u201cB,\u201d and \u201cC\u201d shifts, as they were called. I worked the \u201cC\u201d shift. We even had a \u201cspecial\u201d business card size calendar that fit into your wallet: Green (A shift), Blue (B shift), and Red (C shift). It helped plan out your days and, in my opinion, was much more user-friendly than today\u2019s Microsoft LookOut<\/em> or Google Calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But I digress\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A Normal Day\u2019s Routine<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    After morning muster, we began our normal in-house routine of checking over the firetrucks, making sure all the gear was aboard and ready, and ensuring our own personal firefighting gear was where it should be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I placed my boots & fireman\u2019s trousers next to the tailboard of Engine #1, my truck assignment for the day. I\u2019d be the guy who hopped off at the fire hydrant nearest the fire, attach the 2\u00bd\u201d line, then when I got the driver\u2019s signal he\u2019s ready for water, open the valve, allowing water to flow to the engine. Even though an engine carries 500 gallons of water, that would be gone within a few minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This was a weekday, so we were in for a little training, as well as a ride through several neighborhoods in our quadrant to check\/measure fire hydrant pressure. That’s something that the city fire department did at that time (late 70s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then we’d head back to the fire house for lunch, and more training\u2014bookwork this time. Training never ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    No hot drills<\/a> or rescue drills scheduled for this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It had been a relatively quiet day. While the city<\/em> had several calls\u2014we knew when another one of the seven city fire stations rolled for an emergency\u2014none came to the Main Street station during the day. Not unusual and while I loved fighting fires\u2014both in the Navy and <\/em>as a civilian\u2014it was nice to periodically have a quiet day…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Call<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    … until that<\/em> call came in. We\u2019d finished supper, put away dishes & extra food, made sure the fire trucks were ready to roll, and were just relaxing, either in front of the TV, playing cards, or reading. Me? I was in college, working on homework, something I did every <\/em>day\/night. No rest for the student, so to speak. It was about nine at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The firehouse alarm went off. It was a Klaxon alarm<\/a>, similar to what we\u2019d had at the Crash barn at NAS Agana, Guam. We all jumped, but weren\u2019t quite sure who would roll. Like always, we hurried toward our assigned trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Station #1 had two fire engines, each with a crew of four or five, a ladder truck, and a paramedic crew who drove a pickup truck; plus the shift chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The communication dispatcher announced over the radio, \u201cHouse fire, address<\/em>, Engine #1 respond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That was us. I kicked off my shoes and jumped into my boots, pulling up my trousers\u2014with red suspenders, of course\u2014then slipped on my coat and helmet. About five seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I was the only one on the tailboard\u2014we were short a man. But the full crew consisted of the driver, Larue, the truck lieutenant, Dan, the lead hose man, Freeman, and me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The truck was out of the station about 15 seconds after the call came in. That wasn\u2019t unusual\u2014training, training, and more training. That, and the fact that firefighters love to fight fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since I was riding the tailboard alone, my thoughts went from, \u201cGet outta the way, we\u2019re heading to a fire<\/em>,\u201d to my old early childhood favorite cartoon theme song, \u201cHere I come to save the day, that means that Mighty Mouse is on his way<\/em>.\u201d Or\u2026 something like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When We First Arrived<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    From the address, we knew it was a house fire in a local neighborhood, probably less than three miles from the station. Larue would get us there in less than five minutes. Lights flashing and siren blaring\u2014music to a firefighter’s ears. And since we were the only truck rolling, it was probably a small house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The street and the number indicated the house was on the poor side of town. Probably wooden and wouldn\u2019t last long if<\/em> there was a real fire. I say “if” because we received a lot of false alarms, too. Many of which were someone smelling or seeing smoke, and that still happens today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like most firefighters, I smelled the fire before I saw it. Freeman did too\u2014he caught my eye and smiled. We\u2019d fought several fires together and Freeman was one of the best. Always alert, always ready to attack the fire, but always had your back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There’s a trust among firefighters, much like I’d experienced in both my Navy duty stations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Freeman got serious as he put on his game face and donned his air tank and mask. Since I rode the tailboard, I\u2019d put mine on when we got to the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Larue stopped at the end of the street and I jumped off, grabbing the 2\u00bd\u201d hose and ran to the hydrant, wrapping the hose around, stepping on it so it would stay put, and I signaled Larue with a thumbs up. About 5 seconds. Larue put the pedal to the medal and while he drove another 100 feet to the fire, the hose fed out along the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I did my thing: uncapped the hydrant, screwed the hose on, and waited for Larue\u2019s signal. I could see him hooking the other end of the hose to the engine pump. We\u2019d practiced this so many times, it was second nature for us both. He gave me the thumbs up, I turned on the hydrant and the water flowed, expanding the hose as it made its way to the engine. Less than 60 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My Initial Thoughts<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Between the physical work of pulling the hose, connecting to the hydrant, and running back toward the fire, my heart was pumping and my adrenaline level was high<\/a>. I was in great shape though\u2014most firefighters take pride in staying healthy and in shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I got to the truck, I donned my air tank & mask, and sprinted toward the fire. Freeman and Lt. Dan had already pulled the 1\u00bd\u201d hand line off the truck and were initially spraying water on the structure. It was almost fully engulfed. My initial thought was, “this house was gone.<\/em>” We\u2019d fought house fires like this many times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The city police were there, two cars I believe, and they stood back, ready to help if needed. They reported talking with the neighbors, and let us know that no one was in the house. That was good; that meant that we could attack the fire without having to worry about\u2026 well, you know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I got behind Freeman as his backup. Both of us were low to the ground\u2014this wasn\u2019t our first rodeo together. Freeman inched his way into the house and adjusted the nozzle to spray a wide stream, both knocking the fire back and keeping us safe from the heat and flames and potential flare-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It Didn\u2019t Take Long to Put the Fire Out<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The fire wasn\u2019t that big or that bad, but it was still a fire. After a couple of minutes, most of the fire was out. We both stood up and made our way through the house, dousing anything with flames. Smoke damage all over, mostly everything was black\u2014either by the fire or the smoke, and of course, water damage from us extinguishing the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lt. Dan came in and helped us inspect other potential areas of flames. He noticed smoke drifting from above us, so I went back to the truck and grabbed the 8\u2019 grappling hook. When I came back in, I rammed the hook through the ceiling and pulled down the part where Lt. Dan noticed the smoke. There was a small fire in the ceiling, which meant we needed to pull more of it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After I pulled down about a six foot square\u2014it wasn\u2019t exactly square, mind you\u2014we didn\u2019t spot any more flames. Still, I went back out to get a 6\u2019 folding ladder to inspect the rest of the crawl space between the ceiling and the roof. I used my lantern to inspect the area and reported nothing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The fire was out, we were done, time to wrap the hose, and head back to the station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lasting Impressions\u2026 even today<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    After a fire is out and\u2026 we felt comfortable that is was truly <\/em>out\u2026 we’d roll up the hoses, restack and refold both the 1\u00bd\u201d hand line and the 2\u00bd\u201d onto the truck, secure the equipment we used, mount up and drive home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As I was putting away my air tank & mask, I looked over in the crowd and noticed an older lady\u2014a black woman\u2014near to tears. There were a few other neighbors nearby, trying to comfort her. I\u2019d witnessed this many times as a firefighter. They tell you not to become involved\u2014you need to separate your emotions from your job. I’d done that time & time again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But this time\u2026 it was different. I can\u2019t explain why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I walked over and asked her if she was alright. Her face was wet from so many tears, it was hard for me to hold back my own. She looked up at me and said through heaving sobs, \u201cThat was my house, everything I owned. All my memories, my pictures, my bible, my entire life. All gone. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m going to do; I don\u2019t know<\/em> what I\u2019m going to do.\u201d And she began sobbing again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Firefighters Have Feelings, too<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I did something I\u2019d never done before. I reached out and hugged her. I\u2019m six foot four and wrapped her small frail body in my arms. I don\u2019t know why I did that, but something spoke to me. She just sobbed as I held her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A young policewoman came over and put her hand gently on the lady’s shoulder. \u201cWe\u2019ll help you find a place, ma\u2019am.\u201d I looked at her with wet eyes and mumbled, \u201cThank you,\u201d let go, and walked back toward the truck, keeping my head down. I didn\u2019t want the other fire crew to see my tears, so I wiped my face, stepped back onto the tailboard of the truck, and let Larue & Lt. Dan know I was ready. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Freeman knew something was up, but he left me to my own thoughts. I know he felt something, too. That was more than just a house\u2014it was somebody\u2019s home\u2026 their entire life, all up in flames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That was the last fire I fought as a professional firefighter with the City of Gainesville. From the time we got the call to the time we put out the fire, rolled the hoses, and headed back to the station, it was probably less than an hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Though I have to admit, those 60 minutes were a major turning point in my life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Signs Were There<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Some people may term that as a \u201cParadigm Shift<\/em>;\u201d others may talk about seeing the \u201cwriting on the wall<\/em>.\u201d I wouldn\u2019t describe it either way. It was a culmination of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I was 24 years old and had two main goals at that point in my life. One, to marry my sweetheart, Becky. We\u2019d been dating for a year or so. We actually met in karate class; our mantra became\u2014and still is: \u201cShe threw me and I fell for her<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah, I know. Don\u2019t give up my day job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The second goal was to finish college, get my degree in Electronics Engineering<\/strong>, and figure out from there what I\u2019d do with the rest of my life. I had just transferred from Santa Fe Community College<\/strong> to the University of Florida College of Engineering<\/strong>. My GPA went from a 3.7 to a 2.9\u2014ouch. I was struggling at the University. Engineering School required a lot more studying than a simple community college AS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019d been thinking about leaving the fire department for a few weeks. I didn’t think I could work full-time at the fire department, attend the university full-time, and maintain a respectable GPA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I hadn\u2019t let anyone know other than Becky. Since we were going to get married, she said she\u2019d support us while I finished school. She worked at the University hospital in Intensive Care and made enough money to support the two of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I came from \u201cold school\u201d and wasn\u2019t sure that\u2019s how it was supposed to work. She came from the same \u201cold school\u201d and told me several times that she swore she\u2019d never support a husband financially. Funny thing\u2014we still joke about that today. But after 41 years (we married in Spring 1981), we\u2019re still together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I guess \u201cold school\u201d works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Fire Department Never Left Me<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    As I often say, \u201cLife is a Journey, One Step Followed by Another<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d I\u2019m living proof of that, as I\u2019m sure many of you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Many of my Navy shipmates stayed in for a career and loved almost<\/em> every minute, every duty station, every port, and every challenge. At least that\u2019s what they tell me now. Many of my city firefighter friends stayed and made it a career and are now retired, often looking back on many great times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even though I left the fire department, like the Navy\u2026 it<\/em> never left me. Now and then I\u2019d stop by the fire station for a quick visit and sometimes stay for lunch. Firefighters know<\/em> how to cook a good meal. When they built a new fire station, I stopped by to reminisce about the good ol\u2019 days, and sometimes one of my old firefighting buddies would still be on shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My wife and I are both retired now\u2026 we\u2019re in our mid-60s and enjoying life. While I sometimes crave that firehouse fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, white acre peas, cornbread and biscuits (nothing like firehouse biscuits), we eat a little healthier these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I find it makes a difference, a big <\/em>difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Previous Posts Mentioned in this Blog<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n