FanStory.com - Part I, Chapter 1by teols2016
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Baltimore's Bravest go to work...
2nd Time Around
: Part I, Chapter 1 by teols2016

Background
A fight for life and truth...

2014:

"... What are you doing?" Sheldon Forest Alexander asked, coming into the fire station's kitchen and seeing someone almost climbing into the large refrigerator, humming as he rummaged through the shelves.

"Checking the fridge," Frank Milkey replied, not withdrawing his head from inside the appliance. "We're out of butter."

"And you need a theme song to determine that?"

"It's the theme from Inspector Gadget."

"Great choice."

"Come on. That show's a classic."

Sheldon thought it quite possible that Frank was the only one in the firehouse who'd watched the show when it was first coming out on TV. He himself was an infant at the time. Where Shelden had a full head of dark-brown hair, Frank now had a one-inch bald spot parting his whitening mop.

Sheldon knew Frank was eligible to retire from the Baltimore City Fire Department with a full pension and that he was approaching the mandatory retirement age. But, so far, the man refused the former and didn't seem bothered by the latter.

"The butter?" Frank asked.

"Put it on the list," Sheldon said. "I'll send Kevin and Lewis to the store in a little while."

Frank jotted the item on a piece of paper stuck to the refrigerator door.

"Make sure they can read your handwriting," Sheldon added.

"Oh, now I'm hurt," Frank said, pretending to sulk for a moment. "It's fine. Hey, Suzanne."

Sheldon turned to see Suzanne Moss coming into the kitchen, dressed in her workout gear and running her fingers through her shoulder-length raven hair. The smell of sweat suggested she'd been up in the gym.

"New perfume?" Frank asked, resuming his examination of the fridge's contents.

"Kevin's still in the shower," Suzanne replied. "I know because I can hear him all the way down the hallway."

"Is he singing again?" Frank asked with a groan.

"That's not singing. That's a dying cat being run down by an ice cream truck while it's playing one of those God-awful jingles over and over and over again. Can't you do something about him?"

"Anything I try will probably violate his first amendment right to free speech," Sheldon remarked, not interested. Since their company's commander, Lieutenant Miles Barnett, spent most of his free time in his office, he was the go-to guy, even when it came to less-than-important matters like this. He was the latest in a long family line of Baltimore City firefighters and possessed a natural ability to lead, instruct, and delegate. He knew more going into the fire academy than most graduates and was sure to succeed Lieutenant Barnett upon the latter's retirement in a few years.

"Anybody seen Lewis?" Suzanne asked, reaching over Frank to grab a bottle of water from the open fridge.

"Laundry room," Frank replied, still rummaging. "He's doing a load of towels."

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't get mine in there in time."

Like the others, Suzanne took a certain level of enjoyment out of riding the new guy, even though their newest member, Lewis Donald Griffin, had been with the department for about six years. He was their new guy because of his recent transfer. Suzanne shrugged and drank a few gulps of water.

"I put in a good workout," she remarked, setting the bottle down on the table. "Guess that's why Kevin is still in the shower. He wanted to be sure to avoid laundry duty."

The station's alarm rang and the conversation halted. All three hurried out of the kitchen, Frank lagging behind just long enough to slam the refrigerator door shut. Suzanne's water bottle remained on the kitchen table.

* * *

"One-alarm fire at Box 39," the dispatcher announced over the loudspeakers in fire stations across Baltimore as the alarm shrieked. "Please respond ... Battalion 2, Battalion 3, Engine 2, Engine 4, Engine 5, Engine 6, Engine 8, Truck 1, Truck 10, Truck 29, Medic 15, Squad 26, Airflex 2, Collapse 1, Safety 2. One-alarm fire at four-story residence at 51 Woodsburk Avenue. Please respond ... Battalion 2, Battalion 3, Engine 2, Engine 4, Engine 5, Engine 6, Engine 8, Truck 1, Truck 10, Truck 29, Medic 15, Squad 26, Airflex 2, Collapse 1, Safety 2."

* * *

Sheldon, Frank, and Suzanne hurried down to the garage bay. Like many fire stations around Baltimore and the rest of the country, their station on Cold Spring Lane got rid of its fire pole a few years ago, citing the dangers and injuries associated with the otherwise symbolic structure. Instead, the firefighters raced down several flights of stairs to reach their rigs.

Lewis was already there, pulling on his gear. Lieutenant Barnett was right behind the trio.

"I'm coming!" their final member, Kevin Foley, called from somewhere above.

Quick and efficient, everyone pulled on their gear and hopped onto the truck, the station's screeching alarm not hindering them.

As he moved amongst the fray, Lewis was a bit nervous about his first call with his new company. He nevertheless got into gear just as always. Within a minute, he was sitting in one of the seats on the rear bench in the truck's cab, making it right behind Frank and Sheldon. Seconds later, the other three members of the company joined them. They pulled the doors shut and Lieutenant Barnett gave the "all clear". Sheldon drove out of the garage bay, lights flashing and sirens wailing as he accelerated. Truck 29 was on its way, Engine 4 pulling out right behind them.

It was still early in the afternoon, so there wouldn't be too much traffic. In another era, it would have been Lieutenant Barnett's responsibility to study a map and advise Sheldon, the company's designated Emergency vehicle driver. Now, the truck's GPS system took care of navigating and, once he saw smoke, Lieutenant Barnett would always tell Sheldon to head in that direction, a running gag which never quite made sense. For now, the lieutenant listened for updates on the situation via his radio earpiece.

They raced down Cold Spring Lane and turned left onto Charles Street, a main thoroughfare which would take them all the way to the neighborhood where the burning building was located. Woodsburk Avenue was just a few side streets away from Charles Street, just off Warren Avenue. It wasn't a long drive.

With Sheldon and Lieutenant Barnett occupying the two front seats, Frank, Lewis, Suzanne, and Kevin filled the back row. Kevin and Lewis made faces, having wound up on either side of Suzanne, though they tried to hide them from her. Kevin did lower his window and the cold air rushed through the rig's cab. Suzanne wasn't bothered. After all, it was Kevin's fault she hadn't gotten a chance to shower. Or maybe it was the department's fault for not having men's and women's showers at the station, requiring them to shower in shifts by gender. Nothing could be done about it now though.

During his years with the department, Lewis saw a variety of behaviors from firefighters during the drive to the scene. These ranged from cracking jokes to remaining silent in mental preparation for the task ahead. Sheldon was the very definition of the latter, not saying a word as he drove. In his mind, he was already planning how he, and everyone else, would act upon their arrival. Frank was the opposite. He remained easy going and liked to chat.

"Bet it's an electrical fire," he was saying as they turned onto St. Paul Street. "That street is on the south side of Fed Hill. The neighborhood has a lot of older buildings. The circuit breakers probably malfunctioned and the whole system overloaded and blew. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it still had fuses."

The others took him at his word. He'd been in the department longer than any of them. His experience enabled him to rise through the ranks years ago, but he refused many promotions, stating he wanted to fight fires without having to worry about the paperwork. Over the years, his hair grew white and his face looked more and more worn, even as he remained as enthusiastic as ever.

"I'm not going against you on that," Suzanne said. She and Frank had become close friends back on their tumultuous first day together. Thirty minutes into their shift, Suzanne had threatened to castrate Frank with a fire ax for looking down on her for being a woman. Hours later, the incident was a thing of the past when she pushed him out of the way of a collapsing beam during a call, saving both their lives.

In his seat, Kevin was smiling. Thanks to Lewis's transfer, he'd rid himself of the "rookie" designation.

"Ready to go, 'Rookie'?" he called out over the wail of the truck's siren, grinning at Lewis.

"We should be fine as long as we're not headed for a bar," Lewis said, feeling comfortable retaliating against him as opposed to the more senior firefighters. After all, he had five years in the department over this kid, even if he was the "rookie" on this rig.

"Well," Kevin said, "we know I'll get more girls than you."

The others chuckled at the exchange as Sheldon turned the truck onto Light Street. Kevin had the misfortune of looking younger than he was. This situation became especially amusing when he was asked to show photo ID in order to drink in bars and restaurants. But the jokes were all good fun and Kevin took them well. Besides, his boyish good looks did attract plenty of attention from women. Some people said he looked like a young Will Smith ... a very young Will Smith.

"Better not let your old man hear you talking like that," Frank admonished.

Despite his short stint in the department, Kevin had gained respect for his discipline ... at least, when it showed. It was a trait he'd inherited from his father, a career marine. upon completion of his probationary period, Kevin had learned how to work Truck 29's ladder, becoming its designated operator at calls. He never failed to have it ready wherever it was needed.

Now that he was sitting in the truck, Lewis felt less nervous about what was coming. It felt almost as though he was still riding on the engine. A fire was a fire and they were all firefighters. Their job was to extinguish the flames and make sure nobody got hurt.

The thoughts and banter were interrupted when Lieutenant Barnett saw a rising stream of black smoke over the roofs on their left as they sped down Warren Avenue.

"That way," he declared, pointing. "Everybody be ready."

* * *

Truck 29 arrived at the scene and everyone saw the burning four-story wood and brick apartment building. Flames were already shooting out of multiple windows and thick smoke was billowing out and rising over the roof, piercing the clear-blue sky. They felt the heat all the way by the rig. The firefighters piled out and put on their oxygen tanks and masks, knowing they were going into the dwelling.

"Listen up," Lieutenant Barnett called out, getting his company's attention. "Truck 10's venting the roof! Truck 1 is searching the first two floors, so you guys split up and search the top two! The basement's already clear!"

The firefighters nodded and moved forward, careful not to impede their colleagues on the engines who were trying to douse the flames. Large puddles of water littered the street and sidewalk as the hoses were directed from window to window. The water sprays struck wherever the blaze sprouted, the firefighters aiming at the base of the flames to extinguish them. The thin strip of grass in front of the building had been reduced to a brown, muddy mess. A slight breeze was blowing and some companies were spraying the neighboring buildings to prevent the fire from spreading.

The team entered the building through the front door, which had been removed, and headed up the stairs. It was much hotter here and the flames were much more prevalent. A brilliant mixture of red, orange, and yellow mingled with the black smoke and filled everyone's field of vision.

On the third floor, the group split up with Kevin and Frank staying behind to search the four apartments there. the others continued to the top floor.

"Start on the left," Sheldon told Lewis and Suzanne, his voice somewhat muffled by his oxygen mask. "I'll take the two on the right. Maintain radio contact."

Lewis and Suzanne acknowledged this and moved towards the nearest apartment. They first checked the door to see if it was hot, indicating a possible backdraft with potentially lethal consequences. Finding no sign of that possibility, they entered the burning dwelling, calling out for anyone who might be there.

"Fire department!" they shouted repeatedly, trying their best not to interrupt each other. "Is anyone in here?! Call out!"

Seeing only burning furniture, photographs, and clothes, they determined this apartment was empty and moved to the next one. This door was locked, so Lewis raised his Halligan Bar and swung it through the air. His first hit splintered the door with a loud crack. Lewis pulled the bar back and swung again. With another crack, the door splintered further but still stood. Feeling confident about the door's new lack of structural integrity, Suzanne kicked it with her heavy boot. The wooden pieces fell and scattered across the floor inside the apartment.

"Fire department!" Lewis and Suzanne shouted, entering the burning apartment. "Call out!"

This apartment was also empty, but the flames were brighter, stronger, and hotter here and the smoke thicker and darker. The rooms further back were already fully engulfed. No one would be alive in there.

The pair soon had to retreat, hurrying through what remained of the splintered door. They met Sheldon in the hallway, seeing he'd found a frightened teenage girl, who was coughing and spluttering.

"Take her down," He told them. "I'll keep searching up here."

Suzanne took the girl's arm. She and Lewis got her through the thick smoke, down the stairs, and out of the building, where a pair of paramedics took charge of her. By this time, the teenager was crying while still coughing. But she otherwise seemed to be unharmed.

Lewis and Suzanne headed back inside to reunite with Sheldon. As they were climbing up the stairs again, they heard a crash below them. It sounded like a wrecking ball hit the side of the building. They froze, wondering if the staircase they were on was in danger of collapsing. Then, another firefighter called out over the radio.

"Mayday! Mayday! Two firefighters down!" he reported. "Mayday! Mayday! Two firefighters down!"

As the radio traffic fell silent, he explained the situation, describing how two firefighters from Truck 1, Kathy Gates and Tom Hurson, had fallen through a weak spot in the floor. They had landed in the basement. Neither was responding to radio calls and Suzanne and Lewis heard the pair's PASS devices emitting their signature high-pitched screeching noises, indicating their positions and that they weren't moving. They were possibly unconscious and most likely trapped.

"Top floor's clear," Shelden then reported over the radio. "I'm on my way down."

Taking the hint, Lewis and Suzanne turned around and headed back downstairs to see how they could help. They reached the entrance to the basement, which the firefighters of Squad 26 were trying to open. However, the door was stuck, and the heat being emitted suggested the basement stairs were burning. Taking the door down could cause a backdraft, a potential disaster for everyone in the lobby as well as Hurson and Gates.

"We gotta make a new door," Frank said, also coming down the stairs with Kevin behind him. "Get a saw in here now!"

As someone ran out to get the saw, he and Sheldon surveyed the floor beneath their feet, determining the best spot to cut. The saw arrived, and, under their direction, the squad company took charge of creating the hole, cutting strategically as to prevent the entire floor from collapsing.

Meanwhile two more firefighters from Truck 1 brought in a ladder. The company's fifth firefighter was down the hallway, near the hole where his colleagues had fallen. Using the powerful beam on his flashlight, he located the pair. They weren't moving or responding to the light. They were partially buried under some rubble and more debris was coming down around them. As their situation was being relayed over the radio, other firefighters interjected with their own reports as they continued dousing the flames and searching for any other trapped civilians.

* * *

Outside, the battalion chief in charge of the operation was putting in a radio call for two more ambulances when the department's elite Rescue Unit arrived. Upon being summoned, they'd raced across town from where they had just finished another call. The firefighters piled out and the chief ran over to meet them.

"We've got two of ours not moving in the basement," he told them.

"Got it," the commander, Captain Harvey Stephens, replied. This was the purpose for his unit. Department protocol dictated they be called to any situation involving trapped persons, regardless of the circumstances.

He turned to his men and called out, "Let's go!"

The Rescue Unit entered the lobby, where the others had just finished making the hole in the floor and were lowering the ladder.

"Stay here," Captain Stephens instructed, going down first. While two of his firefighters stayed behind, the rest followed him down into the basement.

They confirmed the stairs going back up were engulfed in flames. Thanks to the flashlight beam from above, they found Gates and Hurson with little effort. The pair's PASS devices also helped as the piercing screeches were still audible. They seemed to be conscious, but they were unable to help themselves out of their predicament.

"Let's get them secured," Captain Stephens instructed. "We're gonna have to pull them out from above."

His voice was muffled by his oxygen mask, but his men understood every word. Knowing they couldn't just pull the trapped pair free, they set to work tying ropes around each one's chest and shoulders. With the makeshift harnesses secure, they fed the ropes back up the ladder. Their comrades up top coordinated the firefighters of Trucks 1 and 29, preparing them to help pull.

"Bulldozing time," Captain Stephens announced. "Sit tight, you two. We'll have you out in a sec."

He and his men worked to get as much debris off Gates and Hurson as they could. This included a wooden beam pinning down Hurson's leg.

"Let's hustle, guys," Captain Stephens said, setting some wooden debris aside. "Don't wanna be buried or barbecued. Mills, help Zisken with that chunk of concrete. Come on. Come on!"

They had to work quickly but carefully. Any wrong move could lead to them all being buried alive while taking too long came with the possibility of the fire on the stairs spreading and engulfing them.

They soon cleared away as much as they could and were able to hold aloft the remaining debris for brief periods. Captain Stephens gave a signal to the firefighters waiting up in the lobby. They pulled Hurson out, two of the Rescue Unit's members helping him as he was hauled up the ladder and received by Sheldon and a firefighter from Truck 1.

"Next one!" Captain Stephens called.

They repeated the process for Gates, after which the Rescue Unit scampered back up the ladder behind her.

By the time Gates and Hurson were brought outside, two more ambulances had arrived. The paramedics took charge, saying they'd be taken to the Johns Hopkins Medical Center for tests. Though both firefighters were conscious and somewhat walking, they did not seem fully aware of their surroundings. the commander of Truck 1 agreed with the paramedics' assessment.

As the ambulances pulled away, Lewis headed back to Truck 29 and stored away his oxygen tank and mask. Now that everyone was out of the building, He and the rest of the company would do what was needed to help the guys on the engines extinguish the blaze.

"Lewis!" someone called. "Hey, Lewis!"

Lewis turned to see his friend, Sam Jackson, coming towards him. He and Sam were on Engine 4 together until Sam transferred after being accepted into the Rescue Unit.

"Hey, man," Sam said, reaching him. "Heard you were on the truck now. This your first call with them?"

"Yeah," Lewis replied.

"Nothing like starting out with a bang. Glad Gates and Hurson are still with us. Paramedics said the fact they're sort of talking and walked out of there somewhat under their own power is a good sign. They might only be out a couple of days ... a week at most."

Lewis nodded. They'd both been to their fair share of firefighters' funerals. But even one was already too much. Plus, they knew Tom Hurson, having once served with him on Engine 4.

"How's the family?" Sam asked.

"Everyone's good," Lewis told him. "Sarah's up in New York, visiting with Amelia and some other folks. How are Ashley and the kids?"

"They're good. Ashley hasn't quite come around to me being on the Rescue Unit yet but she's getting there."

Lewis understood. His family had never been that thrilled with him becoming a firefighter, but they'd accepted his desire to pursue the career. He doubted they'd be on board if he ever tried to get onto the Rescue Unit, though he had no plans to pursue such a venture anytime soon. So far, he liked his new place on Truck 29.

"Well," Sam continued, "I've gotta run. We're gonna head back ... wait for the next call."

"Last in, first out," Lewis remarked. "Hard life you guys lead on the Rescue Unit."

"Can you blame us? We are just that awesome."

"If you say so."

They made plans to go grab a beer and catch up after their shift. With the details set, Sam hurried back to his rig. the Rescue Unit headed out and Lewis got back to work. Though the residents and firefighters were out of harm's way, the flames still needed to be extinguished.

Recognized

Author Notes
Cast of characters:

Lewis Griffin: Sarah's brother and a Baltimore City firefighter on Truck 29. Formerly a member of Engine 4.

Sheldon Alexander: Baltimore City firefighter and driver of Truck 29.

Frank Milkey: Baltimore City firefighter and oldest member of Truck 29.

Suzanne Moss: Baltimore City firefighter and member of Truck 29.

Kevin Foley: Baltimore City firefighter and youngest member of Truck 29. Held the title of "rookie" until Lewis's transfer from Engine 4. Operates the truck's ladder.

Lieutenant Miles Barnett: Baltimore City firefighter and leader of Truck 29.

Feedback, especially suggestions for additions, subtractions, and revisions, are always welcome. Enjoy.

     

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