Before two years ago, I never much thought about firefighters or what exactly they did.
Before two years ago, I never knew the services firefighters performed or the risks they faced every day.
Two years ago, my house caught fire in the dead of night from a candle left carelessly burning. I woke up to the shrill scream of the smoke alarm and the air thick with acrid smoke. After getting my twin 5 year olds, wife and dog out of the house, I punched in 911 and sat across the street watching helplessly as the flames burst out the office window. A few minutes later, 14 fire engines descended upon my street and my education began.
The first thing that happened was that several firefighters asked me if everyone was accounted for. Yes. Even my dog had made it out safely. I watched as these men made their way into the burning house. 3 Men were suddenly on the roof chainsawing holes in the roof (in the dark!) and directing a stream of water to quench the flames in the attic. Another firefighter came out the front door with my soot-covered dog...huh? He had gone back into the burning house through the doggy door and the firefighter had found him hiding in my bedroom. Other firefighters were in the fully engulfed office heaving files (some burning!) out onto the front yard because they looked important. (they were) Other firefighters were collecting framed photographs and artwork from the walls inside and placing them out of harm's way in the front yard. An hour or two later, the fire was deemed extinguished and we were invited inside to see if there was anything we could salvage for the night. Inside, we saw that the firefighters had gone into each room, thrown things into a pile in the center of the room and covered it with a tarp to protect them from water/smoke damage. They had done so much to try and save my property and had done all that inside a burning house literally filled with lung-searing burning plastic smelling black smoke!
A woman firefighter had stayed behind with my two kids while my wife and I had gone into my house to examine the remains and when we returned, she had given each of them a stuffed bear and was comforting them. My son was so comfortable he was asleep!
After that experience, I am truly thankful for the service and sacrifice that these men and women make, and I know firsthand the difference that they can make in peoples' lives.
Thank you for making a difference, Ken! Stay safe!
Best regards,
Nick
