I was dispatched to go help some families at a residential fire near Westminister. It was still dark when I pulled up, seeing the fire truck's floodlights illuminating the street and hearing the hum of the engines.
I met my field supervisor and then the fire captain escorted us on the damage assessment tour. I was suprised how gentle and polite all the firemen were. What heros. We walked around the house; holes were cut in the ceilings of all the rooms to search for fire. The room where the fire started had major damage - its walls were blackened and everything was charred and messy. I made a mental note: Check for fire hazards at home! We walked thru sooty puddles of water.
The husband said that he woke from the smoke and it was hard to breathe. He saw the fire and tried to put it out but it was too much and he jumped out the window with his wife and woke others and called for help.
It was daylight by the time we had finished the paperwork.
Both us responders and the families we helped were grateful for each other. Things like background, language, ethnicity, social status - none of this mattered - meeting the humanitarian needs bonded us together.
Though I'll be tired later, it was a great way to start the morning.
