During my "one lap of Speedway" yesterday, I saw three members of the Speedway Fire Department enjoying the pleasant afternoon, sitting in front of the station. Don't be fooled by their apparent idleness:
the station is spotless, the fire engines are gleaming and
their equipment is meticulously maintained.
Firefighters as a group, seem to enjoy the kind of camaraderie and trust
that few of us will ever enjoy with our coworkers. It is a special bond, one formed by fire or the threat of it. They work together, train together,
and laugh together to form the kind of team
us cubicle-bound drones can only imagine.
Each man's turn-out gear is carefully placed near the apparatus,
close at hand for whatever alarm that may come. Due to the vast improvement in building practices and materials, as well as the establishment of building codes, there are fewer fires: well over one half the runs fire stations receive are actually emergency runs for reasons other than fire. As a result, most firefighters are now cross-trained and certified as emergency medical technicians and paramedics
There appeared to be miles of hose, carefully cleaned,
flattened and coiled in every spare corner of the station.
It comes in different sizes and sits tidily placed in racks,
awaiting possible use for an event that no one wants to occur,
but "just in case, 'cause you never know."
This is my favorite picture. I saw the canvas-clad figure
lying on the floor and, of course, against all logic I briefly thought the men
up front had left one of their cohorts sprawled on the floor.
"Oh, pfft! you silly woman," I thought, "it's a training dummy."
My more macabre side took over and I took pictures.
