| Imagine being trapped in a burning building, blinded by dense smoke, with the heat scorching your face, your ears, your head. I was imagining such a calamity Saturday afternoon as I listened to a group of Austin firefighters talk about a recent fire-call that went wrong.
Post-Incident Review
I was a fly on the wall at a PIR, Post-Incident Review, for the recent housefire on Strawberry Cove in South Austin, when one firefighter was trapped, injured, rescued and sent to the hospital. The firefighter has since made a full recovery.
Two fire companies were dispatched to the fire. It appeared to be a small fire on the outside of the house, which they began to put out. Meanwhile, two firefighters entered the house for a routine check to make sure the fire had not reached inside. But when they reached the second floor and opened a way to the attic, the house filled with dense smoke and heat. That's when one firefighter had to be rescued. |
| At the PIR, two dozen firefighters listened as the firefighters who had worked the fire talked through the incident minute by minute. As they talked, each firefighter would discuss exactly what he did, step by step, and frequently one would say, 'that was what I did, but this is what I should have done.' Later, Company Commander Ronnie Bushnell told me that these PIRs give a way for firefighters to learn from their actions and to improve teamwork.
Hurry up and wait
I attended the PIR as part of a rideout with the Austin firefighters Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed the chance to learn more about their lives and service. It's a hurry-up-and-wait kind of job.
I had asked for one of the busier stations, so I was assigned to Engine Company 17, at station 17 on South First. Frank, Paul, Chris, & Nathan were on duty. Besides attending the PIR, we made a couple of routine calls, but a lot of time was spent at the station, waiting. The men joked that nothing ever happens when a rideout visitor is at the station.
On one call, we rushed to an apartment complex to answer a health emergency, but EMS was there when we arrived, so we didn't stay. On another call, we scrambled to a wreck on the interstate. There had been several reports of the wreck, giving conflicting locations. Two engine companies were dispatched, one running the highway south from the river to Stassney. We ran the highway north from Stassney to the river. There was no wreck, and we headed back to the station.
As we sped through the streets with sirens going, I enjoyed the camaraderie of the firefighters as they talked, but also their professonalism as they carefully negotiated through busy intersections. Amazingly, many drivers on the road seemed blithely unconcerned about making way for the fire truck.
On the rides, and at the station, the men talked about their lives. Most live outside the city and commute, some because the cost is lower, some because they prefer the rural life. Their 24-on 48-off work schedule sets the rhythm for their lives, and the calendar on the wall shows them the days they will work all the way to the end of the year.
They seemed as curious about what members of the public think of them as I was to learn about them. I told them, "In the Zilker Neighborhood, where I live, everyone loves our firefighters."
(crossposted at www.robincravey.com) |
