{"id":6583,"date":"2023-03-14T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=6583"},"modified":"2023-03-13T16:29:54","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T20:29:54","slug":"140-car-v-utility-pole-never-a-good-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/140-car-v-utility-pole-never-a-good-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"#140\u2014Car v Utility Pole\u2026 Never a Good Scenario"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

    \n
  1. Who said, \u201cThe best way out is always through.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In what movie (and who said it), did we hear, \u201cEverything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn\u2019t end.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. In what song (and who sang it), did we hear the following?
    Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots<\/em>
    And ruined your black tie affair<\/em>
    The last one to know, the last one to show<\/em>
    I was the last one you thought you’d see there<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    \u201cEngine One, Engine Four. Vehicle crash. West University Avenue and 22nd Street. Respond.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m in the conference room downstairs, studying for a Physics exam the next day. Most of the other firefighters are reading, watching TV, or playing pool or ping-pong. It was after hours, so their family visitors had already left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like all emergency calls at the Gainesville Fire Department<\/strong>, we drop what we\u2019re doing and sprint for the truck. I\u2019m assigned to Engine #1 at Fire Station #1, located downtown on Main Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Larue & Freeman are the hose men\u2014they were playing pool. They ride behind the driver in the cab. Wayne\u2019s driving and Lt. Don rides up front in the cab with him. Herb and I are the new kids\u2014about four months out of training\u2014so we\u2019re on the tailgate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Gainesville
    City of Gainesville Fire Department, Engine #2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019d left the US Navy<\/strong> earlier in July 1977, after serving one day short of four years. Since I\u2019d flunked out of college at F.S.U. in 1973 (one reason I enlisted), I had decided to return to school. But this time, I started at Santa Fe, the local community college. Working one day on and two days off is ideal to attend college full-time while working full-time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And\u2026 I\u2019m bringing in a whopping $9,600 a year. Not bad for a bachelor in the Fall of 1977.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I always keep my gear next to the truck. My trousers are rolled down around my boots, so I just kick off my shoes and step right into my boots, pulling up the trousers and yes\u2026 I wear red suspenders. My coat is next to me, hanging on the handrail, so I slip that on, along with my helmet. Herb is a couple of seconds behind me\u2014he was watching TV. He nods that he\u2019s ready, so I let Wayne know we\u2019re good to go and ready to roll. Wayne already has the red lights flashing. Lt. Don hits the siren and we are out of the fire station less than 30 seconds after receiving the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Out onto Main Street, down four blocks, turn left (west) onto University Avenue; 22nd Street is about two miles down the road\u2014a straight shot. We\u2019ll be there in less than five minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is a lot different from riding on the back of a Crash fire truck on the flight deck of USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong> (CV-63), an aircraft carrier. Back then, we\u2019d already be on the truck & geared up, just waiting until… you know… an aircraft crash. And\u2026 when needed, we were there within a few seconds. Not a lot of room on the flight deck to maneuver a fire truck with forty plus parked aircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On a city fire truck, you have time to think through and process the possibilities, even though you don’t really know what you’re going up against. In this case, all we know it’s a vehicle crash. We don’t know how many vehicles, but we’ll soon find out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even though it\u2019s ten at night, traffic\u2014both cars and foot\u2014is beginning to pick up. It\u2019s a school night, but the University of Florida students are making their way out to party. The Gators are on a winning streak, so it\u2019s \u201cparty central\u201d all week long.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wayne\u2019s a great driver\/operator. I\u2019m confident he\u2019ll get us there quickly and safely. There\u2019s something about riding on the back of a fire truck, speeding down the road, lights flashing and siren blaring, traffic pulling over on both sides\u2026 it gets the heart pumping, heading into an unknown, and knowing I have the confidence to tackle anything and everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Navy taught me that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I glance behind us and am glad to see there are no other crashes. That\u2019s not always the case. Rubberneckers, people fiddling with their car radios or cassette tape players\u2026 distracted people not watching their driving. That happens way too often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I can\u2019t see much ahead of us. Even though I\u2019m 6\u20194\u201d, it\u2019s hard to peer over the cab of the truck. We carefully pass through the 13th Street intersection, a major intersection with four lanes of traffic stopped both ways. Lt. Don’s got the full siren blasting and Wayne’s laying on the horn: music to my ears, but it’s damn loud. I carefully peer around the side of the truck and still can\u2019t see the wreck. No flames in the air, so smell of fire\u2026 that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wayne slows the truck down and eases into the intersection. Blue lights\u2014the police are here. Red lights\u2014there\u2019s the fire department paramedics; they drive a little faster in their smaller truck. I still can\u2019t see the vehicle accident, but I know something\u2019s going on. I climb down off the tailgate and walk around the right side of the truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cJesus Christ\u201d is all I can say. There\u2019s a car\u2014a late model Buick\u2014literally wrapped around a utility pole. I\u2019ve never seen anything like this before. Sure, I\u2019ve been to lots of wrecks, lots of fender benders, but this\u2026 the pole looks like it\u2019s growing out of the engine. Both sides of the front of the car are wrapped about a foot around the pole. My mind thinks back to those \u201cDeath on the Highway\u201d videos we watched in high school Driver\u2019s Ed classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The first thing I think is, “whoever\u2019s driving is long gone<\/em>.\u201d But\u2026 I\u2019m wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The paramedics are working frantically. They\u2019ve only been there for a few minutes, but I can see Butch\u2019s legs sticking out the back window\u2014half his body is inside the car. He and his partner, Jimmy, managed to get the rear window out. Jimmy\u2019s a part-time boxer with broad shoulders. Strong as an ox, but too big to fit in the car. Butch is smaller. I can see him holding the driver\u2019s head and neck carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The driver is still alive. Holy Shit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The fire chief arrives. Just two weeks earlier, the department received a new tool. We call it, \u201cThe Jaws of Life.\u201d I\u2019ve only trained on it once\u2014this would be our first “live” cut-out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Firefighters
    Firefighters demonstrate use of hydraulic extrication tool at an open house. 
    Greenville Recorder photo\/Mike Phillips (Greenfield, MA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The tool is about the size of a chain saw, at least in the late 1970s, and weighs just about as much. The \u201cjaws\u201d connect via twin six-foot hoses to the engine, which sits on the ground. It\u2019s designed to be used to either cut metal (compress with sharp blades) or used like a car jack (expand with metal braces). Powered by a gas engine with some pretty powerful hydraulics, it\u2019s truly an amazing tool for first responders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The car\u2019s windows are all smashed from the impact of the crash. No one knows how or why the driver hit the pole. It doesn\u2019t really matter right now. What matters most is to get this guy out and hopefully, save his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We have to make at least two cuts on the front metal frames that hold the car\u2019s windshield. After that, we\u2019ll figure out if we can bend the car top back and get the guy out or if we need to cut all four frames and totally remove the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The term \u201ctime is of the essence\u201d is in the back of my mind. My dad\u2019s a lawyer in town. He uses that specific phrase in his legal documents all the time. Somehow, I think the meaning is a little more crucial here. Here\u2026 tonight\u2026 time is of the essence<\/em> is crystal clear to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Butch is still inside the car with his legs poking out. Jimmy\u2019s got a hand in from the driver\u2019s window. I guess he\u2019s doing whatever it is that paramedics do. But I can hear him and Butch talking. They\u2019re a good team, two of the first paramedics in the department. There\u2019s a pair on each of the three shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Freeman\u2019s got the Jaws of Life\u2014Larue is his backup, operating the engine. He\u2019s got the blades on, so he\u2019ll cut through the driver\u2019s side frame first. Larue is beside Jimmy on the driver’s side\u2014he\u2019s holding a long metal bar in the car as a brace so the top won\u2019t collapse on the driver and Butch. All Herb and I can do is to stand by with the hose in case a fire breaks out. Wayne\u2019s by the engine pump, primed to send water our way if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A crowd is gathering. Curious groups of students trying to see what\u2019s going on. Fortunately, the police are there to help keep them back. There\u2019s no telling how this may turn out. The police also have traffic stopped in all directions, since our fire truck is directly in the middle of the intersection. Engine #4 just arrived, so we\u2019ve got some extra hands. There\u2019s not much they can do at this time, either, except watch and wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Freeman\u2019s got the first cut through in about five seconds and moves over to the passenger side. Larue slips another bar inside, securing that side, too. Lt. Don holds the bar on the driver\u2019s side so it won\u2019t slip out. Jimmy and Butch are still with the driver. He looks stable. I thought I saw his head move slightly, but that was just Butch changing position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Freeman finishes the second cut, sets the Jaws of Life on the ground, and holds the top of the car steady. He peers inside the car and talks with Butch. Butch isn\u2019t going anywhere\u2014he\u2019s staying with his patient. Lt. Don calls me over to hold up the car top on the passenger side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As soon as I get over there, it hits me. The strong odor of beer and urine\u2014unmistakable; like I’d experienced in so many of the bars in Hong Kong and the Philippines as a Navy airdale. I also spot a few beer bottles in the back seat. Thank God there\u2019s no one else in the car.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then I get a close look at the driver. A kid, really. Probably a student. Smooth face, no acne, but he’s got a nasty bloody nose. His black hair is slicked back, but I can’t tell if it’s a overuse of Brylcreem or doused with a bit of his own blood from smashing into the windshield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Larue grabs the Jaws of Life and cuts through the rear frames. We\u2019re all holding the car top, so it doesn\u2019t fall on Butch, Jimmy, and the drunk<\/s> driver. We simultaneously lift the top\u2014it\u2019s not as heavy as I thought it would be\u2014and walk it back behind the car, setting it on the ground. Geez, what a waste<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The ambulance is on scene now. The EMTs bring a stretcher over. Jimmy can get in with the driver now. Butch\u2019s arms are aching from being in an unnatural position for a long time, holding the guy\u2019s head steady. But he won\u2019t take a break. No sir, not Butch. Like most firefighters, he’s focused on the task at hand and he is dedicated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Together, Jimmy, Butch, and the two EMTs from the Alachua County Ambulance<\/strong> slowly maneuver the driver out and gently place him on the stretcher. I see no bone protrusions, at least, nothing obvious. But I\u2019m close enough to smell that deadly combination of beer, followed by a lot more beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jimmy reaches down and checks the driver\u2019s pupils. Or at least that\u2019s what I think he\u2019s doing. The guy\u2019s eyes flutter open and sees all the commotion. He reacts but luckily, doesn\u2019t go into convulsions or shock. He\u2019s drunk as a skunk, talking incoherently, almost angrily. But Jimmy keeps reassuring him he\u2019s going to the hospital to be checked out. Jimmy\u2019s voice is calming, even for me. This is not his first alcohol-related vehicle crash and it won’t be his last. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The EMTs strap the driver onto the stretcher, wheel him over and load him into the ambulance. I see Butch and Jimmy talking with Lt. Don, but I can\u2019t hear anything. All three are looking down at the ground, shaking their heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The tow truck arrives about the time the ambulance leaves. Cecil Shannon’s been in business for years and in a college town during football season, business is always <\/em>good. There\u2019s not much else for us to do. But we stay around and help the tow truck driver sweep up the broken glass\u2014there\u2019s a lot of it scattered about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The city utility crew is there, though fortunately, there are no downed power lines. They\u2019re examining the utility pole and I hear them say they\u2019ll need to replace it. Thank goodness the pole didn\u2019t snap in half from the impact of the car, otherwise we\u2019d have to deal with live power lines jumping around and that would be no fun at all. I\u2019ve danced with electricity enough times to last a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, the tow truck hoists the mangled sky blue Buick Skylark onto a flatbed truck and slowly drives away. Before leaving, Cecil said this was his third wreck today. I think to myself, Yeah, business is good, but not the good kind. <\/em>The police make their rounds and finally release us. The traffic lights are working fine and traffic beings to flow again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019re back at the fire station after about two hours. It\u2019s a little past midnight. I\u2019m tired and I didn\u2019t finish studying for my exam. But I need a quick shower before going to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Hopefully, that\u2019ll be the only run we\u2019ll have tonight. I\u2019m glad the driver is still alive. I have no idea who he was, where he was from, or why he\u2019d been drinking. I\u2019m just glad he wasn\u2019t dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019d cut two more people out of their cars before I left the fire department after 2\u00bd years in May 1980. This one was lucky, if you can call it that. The others\u2026 not so lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    As I write this today, 46 years after, the events, the people, the places, the smells, the sounds\u2026 well, those are things I will never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    Answers<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Robert Frost.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Cocktail<\/em><\/strong> (1988), Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Friends in Low Places<\/em><\/strong> (1990), Garth Brooks; written by Dewayne Blackwell & Earl Lee.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n

      Get your FREE <\/strong>copy of my novel, NEVER FORGET<\/strong> (see below).
      No obligations, nothing to fill out.<\/h3>\n\n\n
      \n
      \"NEVER<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

      Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (\u201973-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET<\/strong>, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran\u2019s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness<\/em>. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE copy HERE<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) \u201cEngine One, Engine Four. Vehicle crash. West University Avenue and 22nd Street. Respond.\u201d I\u2019m in the conference room downstairs, studying for a Physics exam the next day. Most of the other firefighters are reading, watching… Read more#140\u2014Car v Utility Pole\u2026 Never a Good 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