Stuff hittin' the fan....

[Harpoon]

OK, last night was a night from HELL.


I'm OK, just a little sore and running on vapors.

As usual, my wife and I got home from work about 1:30am and we set about our usual routine before going to bed. She had some bills to take care of, I had some homework and we both wanted a snack so I made up some toast with Nutella and peanut butter and poured out some chocolate soy milk (good stuff!) for each of us.

Then my pager goes off....

Wires down on such and such a street. It's close to my house and (with some minor objections from the wife) I head out the door.

Sat around for about 20 minutes watching the scene as we waited for the power company to come in and take care of the live wires. They show up and I follow the fire chief back to the station just so I can sign in quick before going home.

Alarm goes off in the hall, possible ATOH (alcohol poisoning, it's the last weekend of the semester for local college kids.)

I take shotgun in the rescue truck and out we go.

20 something girl had half a bottle of whiskey and OJ to finish off the night and she could barely sit up straight or tell us her home address. Bad shape. Took her to the hospital to dry out.

Back to the hall just in time for ANOTHER call (it's now about 2:30am) elderly woman having difficulty breathing.

Goodie. Off again, now I get to help the paramedic run an IV which was cool and I've done that a lot before in the ER with another medic. He was impressed that I knew what I was doing and could anticipate his actions. Good stuff.

She gets taken away by the commercial ambulance and we go back to quarters again.

Hang out for a little bit before going home (yet another mistake) and the call comes.

This is where it got ugly.

Apparently there was a murder about 90 minutes northeast of here earlier in the day and the primary suspect fled, taking a girl hostage along the way and ending up here in our quiet little village. The story's a little sketchy, but he left his car (and the girl) behind and climbed up the side of an overpass for I-90 and jumped in front of a semi, scattering a good portion of himself alover the street below and said highway....

Doesn't need to be much more graphic than that, you can fill in the blanks.

I had a math class at 10 am this morning. I left the scene of the suicide by semi and went right to class (bookbag happened to still be in the car.) Walked into the building in my turnout coat which got a LOT of doubletakes from other students....


I had a nap this afternoon, been running on fumes and RedBull and I gotta work tonight.


Can anyone tell me why I signed up to be a firefighter?????





Actually, minus the sleep dep and using a little plastic pail and shovel to collect "evidence" at 0430 hrs, I'm feeling pretty good about the evening's escapades. My wife doesn't quite understand why I'm into this stuff, but I think it's really cool getting to help people in this capacity. Can't help 'em all, but then, it's yer own darn fault for jumping in front of a tractor trailer rig after killing someone, saved some tax dollars I guess....


Maybe all this is a way of giving back after having so many people look after me not too long ago when I was within an inch of my life in a hospital bed in Cleveland....


Here's an idea, go buy a box of donuts and drop 'em off at your local fire department this afternoon.

That or the police station of you prefer, they all deserve it about a thousand times over every day.


None for me though, my stomach's a little sensitive from all the coffee I subjected myself to last night.

 

[geebee]

Can anyone tell me why I signed up to be a firefighter?????

Because, with the exception of the murdering idiot (we are all better off now that he is squished), you had a major part in saving 2 lives last night. What better gift can someone give to the world?

 

[catwoman]

Here's an idea, go buy a box of donuts and drop 'em off at your local fire department this afternoon.

That or the police station of you prefer, they all deserve it about a thousand times over every day.

Harpoon:
Congratulations for helping save some lives.

Everyone:
Go easy on food you drop off at fire stations. My nephew-in-law firefighter captain says his station gets hit hard, particularly around holidays. Says his co-workers appreciate things like fresh fruit.
Jake said some people actually bring leftover food, instead of freshly prepared food.

Kinda hard to drag those heavy hoses around when you're toting extra pounds on your frame...

 

[momshell7]

Wow what a night!!

Wow what a night!!

Harpoon,

I am glad that there are fire fighters like you! It makes it easier for all of us to relax in the face of a scary situation. I applaude you!! Keep up the great work. You are living proof of what you can do after valve replacement!


Hope you are able to rest soon!

Michelle

 

[Ross]

Can anyone tell me why I signed up to be a firefighter?????

To be part of the thrill of it all. Something about how when toned out, the adreneline gets pumping and the hair on the back of your neck stands up.

 

[Harpoon]

Ross>>Yes but, I get that anyways as a photographer when I gotta go run out and shoot these things, only difference is now, if I go, I gotta stay there until everyone leaves. I can't just take my photo of some blazin' house fire in the middle of the night during the worst snow storm of the season then leave to the secure comfort of the office while everyone else at the scene is sipping at frozen hot chocolate and coffee trying not to think about the fact that they can't feel their legs from the biting cold wind...


Oh wait, maybe it's the flashing blue light I get to stick on my dashboard.