00/12/25
 

Today is Christmas

Actually, today is the winter festival celebrated long before the birth of Christ. we actually celebrate with very few Christian trappings. Those who celebrate Christmas do so with numerous pagan symbols.

Mistletoe is pagan, as are Christmas trees, Holly, presents, candles and lights. Santa Claus is pagan as well, even though the Christians dubbed him "St. Nicholas" He was around in one or another of his many forms long before any St. Nick.

But enough of my ramblings on the trappings of Christmas. You may have noticed or read that I'm not a Christian. I have nothing against Christians, many of my friends follow that particular belief. I'm not there.

I celebrate Christmas. I like to celebrate goodness and hope and magic each year. i try to celebrate it more than once, but its nice to do it with everyone else at the same time annually.

This year it all seems to have gone quite well. The decimated carcass of a turkey lies in state on my kitchen counter, my kids, though not as extravagantly treated as many are basking in a few new toys. My wife is dozing on the couch and I sit here, stuffed comfortably and reflect on my day.

Being a paid-on-call Firefighter gives one a different perspective on Christmas (as it does on many things).

Being a POC Firefighter means that you can be, and are called to duty at any time, on any day of the year. If you're available, you respond. Simple as that. There are no holidays.

I once got up with my family at 0600 was called out to a fire at 0615, got home at 0900 and got called again at 0945 until 1730, then again at 1800 till 2330. It was a busy day. I got to open presents the next day. Two years ago I left my shopping till the last minute and ended up fighting fires on Christmas eve from 0900 till 1600. I did my shopping in record time, and eneded up going out again at 2330 to a fire in a catholic school. Try getting ahold of a representative for a catholic school during midnight mass sometime, its big fun. A couple of years ago I spent Christmas morning prying a wrecked car apart to get people out. Three serious injuries and a fatality. I'll always remember the packages strewn all over the road. It was hard to go home and open mine knowing that a door somewhere was being knocked on and someone was being given the news.

This year we were spared for the most part. Our first call was around noon. It was to a "residential alarm" meaning a smoke detector was activated. I responded directly to the address and, as I expected found an ambarassed lady at the door explaining to me that she was basting the turkey and spilled some juice in the oven. Lots of smoke, smoke detector activated, no harm done. I cancelled the pumper, did the paperwork and went home.

The second call was a bit different. 


It was 1600 and the pager went off, another call to a residential alarm. I figured it was another turkey juice call but we never get complacent. We run like there is a house on fire until we know for sure there isn't.

I pulled up in front of the house and saw lots of smoke, bad sign. It was coming out some of the upper windows, so the fire hadn't extended very far. I was met on the lawn by a whole family, looked to be a dozen people at least, including a granny who appeared to be about 300 years old. everyone looked pretty scared.

Everyone was out of the building, they had been at the neighbour's place and saw the smoke. By the time I ensured everyone was out the pumper was on scene, two crews were in their airpacks, hoses were extended, and in they went.

The house wasn't on fire, predictably the turkey was the culprit again. This time unbeknownst to the family the oven had somehow been turned to the "self-cleaning" setting. this gets the heat up to about 600 degrees, it also locks the oven door automatically until the temperature reduces to below 200. All that can be done when this has happened is to unplug the oven and wait.

By the time we cleared the smoke had been cleared from the house, and the trucks put back into shape the oven had cooled sufficiently to release the blackened, charred lump that had once been the proud centerpiece of the celebration.

I admired the family. Many wives would have been devastated, many husbands would have been angry. This family was in near hysterics when they saw he smoking carcass of their dinner. The grand finale was the whole dozen of them standing beside the pumper for a series of pictures. They wanted to record this Christmas for the future, and they were looking ahead to next year's Christmas cards. All of them were standing beside or sitting on the pumper, wearing fire helmets (of course), the hostess holding the still-smoking remains of the bird in one hand and a fire hose in the other, the host was decked out in full turnout gear, and above them all, sitting proudly in the officer's seat wearing the chief's helmet, sat the hugely grinning 300 year old granny. I can't wait to see the pix.

We got the truck back to the hall, got our gear stowed, hands shaken, paperwork done, and home in time for our own dinner. It all worked out perfectly. Now here I am :)

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