99/12/04
 

Six are still inside

Today two Massachusetts Firefighters were searching a burning warehouse for homeless people thought to be inside, contact with them was lost, they were missing, presumed trapped. A Rapid Intervention Team of four more men entered to effect rescue. They didn’t come out either.

Six of my brothers are still inside, and the fire is still burning.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fool. I know that they’re almost certainly dead. But it’s kind of like a promise we all share, my brothers are inside, and I must believe until they are carried out by those who fight with them that they live, and can be rescued. They are not dead until we find them. If I was still inside I know that my guys would fight to the death to get me out, as I would for them. It’s one of the reasons we can manage to muster the guts to go inside sometimes.

Simple as that.

I was on line at the bank this afternoon; I had just finished a training exercise, so I was in working uniform. An old man in front of me asked if I had heard about them. I said I had and he asked me why the hell they couldn’t just let the building burn if it was that dangerous. I told him “Well sir, our job is to put them out, we don’t EVER just “let it burn”, It’s a promise we make to you when we sign on, you pay your taxes and we do the job for you, so did they.”

He just shook his head

“If it was YOUR business what would you say if it was on fire and I said “I’m gonna let it burn, we might get hurt fighting it”

“Well, I …”

“You’d curse me because saving you and your property is my job, its what you pay me to do. We do it and love it, we accept the chances we take, so did they. I’m sorry for those men, but I know they’re exactly where they wanted to be.”

He just shook his head and shrugged. I wonder if he’ll ever know what I’m talking about.

We don’t choose this job, it chooses us. We do it because it’s what we’re supposed to do, what we’re made for. Those men were doing what they wanted to do, putting themselves in harm's way for their fellow man. They were fighting fire. It likely cost them their lives.

Until we know for sure, six of my brothers are still inside. I will pray for them and their families to the gods I believe in, I’d appreciate you praying to those you believe in too.

And when you hear sirens, send good thoughts to those who ride the rigs.