Letters to the Editor: November 2024

A Day In the Life

When the truck company arrives on scene, members don’t stand around and wait for the next-due engine. Instead, they start their recon and searches. They act as one, as a well-oiled machine. They force doors, locate the fire, go to the floor above-all while conducting a primary search for victims along the way. And then they hear the sounds they love to hear: The engine company makes the stairs and takes the hallway leading to the fire room, the officer calls for water, and the fire goes out.

But, the truckies are still not done. The roof man and outside vent man meet the rest of the team to complete overhaul and mop up while the engine is still in the building. The fire is out, but the work still does not end there. Lines get drained and dragged out to the street, drained again, and prepped for repacking onto the engine. The truckies helpload the hose onto the engine along with the engine crew, making this work fast and easy, preparing the rig for that next job, which may occur at any moment.

The one thing you cannot see is the brotherhood building. Members return the apparatus to service and clean off the tools. They don’t just pick up and leave the fire scene until they get the “All clear” from the chief, who lets them know in not so many words that all are safe and it was another good job.

Back at the firehouse, you would think it’s time to relax. Wrong! Personnel from both rigs have to go over all their equipment, check it for damage, and repair and clean it to ensure that the used tools are ready for the next alarm.

Now it’s time to hit the showers to remove all by-products of combustion and cancer-causing agents that may linger on the body and cause future concerns. Then the sounds of the kitchen come to life with the voices of the members joking, teasing, and laughing as they prepare a late lunch. They discuss the pros and cons of the fire—their own little kitchen critique of the operation—and what they could do next time to improve.

Firefighters
1. Photo by the late Richard Wolfson.

A firefighter’s job only ends at the end of shift, and truly aggressive firefighters looking to learn and improve their knowledge will read or work at the training academy in the off-duty hours, trying to better themselves. The shift never truly ends: Some members use their free time to be with family, prepare forupcoming promotional exams, or even train others. Whatever they do, they are greatly appreciated by their families, the brotherhood, company officers, and anyone else they come in contact with, as they spread the word of a job they truly love.

Ken Robertson
Ex-Chief
Garfield (NJ) Fire Department


 

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