Lawrence
Hall, HSG
Riding to
the Sound of the Guns
In
hot, burnt, smoky East Texas this summer we are again and again reminded that in
hard times there are men and women who ride to the sound of the guns and then
there are guys who slouch on the couch with their he-man video games.
In
Texas most firefighters are unpaid volunteers, a rare contradiction to the
axiom that you get what you pay for. Volunteer firefighters don’t get paid
nothin’, but their names are written large on the scroll of Texas heroes.
Professional
firefighters in the cities and industries often retire to the country where
they immediately sign on as volunteers. Oooh-rah!
Texas
is always hot, but this summer has been gaspingly hot, Rime of the Ancient
Mariner hot, with its “hot and copper sky,” 100+ degrees “day after day.” Simply
to be outside in this heat can be dangerous, to work outside more dangerous. A
firefighter’s bunker gear, also known as turnout gear, can add 30-40% to his or
her body weight and God alone knows how much extra heat.
And
then there is The Fire. The Fire – hot as three (Newarks), blowing, twisting,
running, sneaking, exploding, and wildly unpredictable. A fire is not a
sentient being, but given the conditions of drought, wind, and fuel can present
as a malevolent monster who wants to destroy and devour anyone who presumes to deny
it mastery over the lives and works of people.
In
the sky, covering and hovering, are the crews of the various types of water
bombers. Being in the sky sounds like a better deal, and perhaps at times it
is, but note those aircraft: the jets are old civilian aircraft re-fitted for
purposes never intended by the manufacturers. The crew must fly those machines within
mere feet of the treetops to drop their loads of water or fire-retardant
chemicals. If anything goes wrong – a bolt that was not secured properly, a
wing or panel which after years of service finally gives way to metal fatigue, an
engine that chokes up for only a second - there is no chance for recovery, no
chance of life for the crew, only death. Take a look also at the helicopters
and crop-dusters modified for fighting fires, and how vulnerable they are.
Other
support includes firefighters from all over Texas, power crews working downed
lines through burning woods, and the several state and local police authorities
guarding roads all the way through the crisis, and seeing to the safe
evacuations of the people and the protection of their homes.
When
a mission is over, the sweaty, dusty, ash-stained, exhausted fire crews in all
the disciplines then return their equally work-stained machines to the barn for
hours of service, repair, washing, and detailing. The crews might not get any
sleep, they might not even finish washing up their machines, their gear, or
themselves before the sound of the cannons through squawking boxes and
old-timey sirens calls them out to the scenes of another disaster.
There
are guys who know Call of Duty on little plastic boxes that light up and
make noises, and then there are real men and women who know the true call of
duty.
There
is a difference. God forgive us if we forget those who keep us safe.
-30-
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