3 Years ago I was assigned to station four. This station houses a engine and an aerial ladder truck. I was the driver for that day. My good friend Chad was part of the aerials 3 man crew. Late one night, we responded to a house fire close to the station. Heavy smoke had already filled the large structure, with flames showing on the main floor. The upper floor was a separate apartment. My Captain and Chad attacked the fire, while two of the aerial truck crews started searching the main floor for victims. An important rule of searching for victims is not to go alone. But rules cannot apply to every fire. In this situation, there was a possibility that people were upstairs. Also, the third fire engine and rescue squad were still en route to the scene. Chad quickly made his decision. Wearing an air mask, he went up the outside stairway and entered the second floor area alone. With heavy smoke cutting all visibility, he had to crawl on hands and knees, searching by touch. This, of course, takes a longer time. As he neared completion of his search, he became disorientated. Being lost in heavy smoke is not rare in firefighting, and I can assure you it is very scary! Remembering his training, Chad found a wall and started feeling along it for a door or a window. Soon afterwards, the warning bell on his air tank sounded. My friend knew that he now had only five minutes of air left in the tank. He also knew that a horrible death awaited him if he couldn't find an exit.
For approximately three more minutes Chad followed the wall, entered an opening to another room, and followed that wall...still feeling around for a way out. He shouted for help, even while knowing his muffled voice would not be heard above the noise of the engines, breaking glass, ect. He crawled on, now feeling the burden of total panic descending upon him. And he prayed...first for God's help, then for God to watch over his daughter. At that moment, Chad's hand came upon a fire hose lying on the floor. Elated, he followed it out of the house...To safety...To Life!
After the fire was over, and we were picking up our gear, Chad told me what had happened. He said he was glad one of my hand lines was up there. He knew the otherwise he probably would have died next the wall, looking for an exit. I told him that I was glad he found it, but I explained that it was someone else's hose, as both lines from my engine were laid to the main floor. I jokingly told Chad I would help him find whoever took it up there, and he could then give that person a hug! Upon checking with every firefighter at the scene, we learned that since the fire had been confined to the main floor of the house...No hose line had been laid to the upper story!
To this day, Chad and I know that a hose surely WAS laid to the upper floor of that house...though not by mortal hands!
Through God...all things are possible...Do you Believe?
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