The Call by Ash Rineworth (best management books of all time .txt) 📖

"Chief, This house is going to come down quick, we need to vent!", John said. "Kapersky, Ryan, you two get on the roof and vent this house now!" Fire Chief Coluna yelled into the radio. As Ryan and Kapersky made their way to the roof John noticed Something was wrong, but could not quite figure it out. Then suddenly the worst happened, the house flashed. The flash sent anyone within a 100 foot radius of the house backwards, leaving 4 people injured,1 in critical condition and 2 dead. Kapersky and Ryan never saw it coming till it was too late, and you cant survive a 3 story fall with 100 ponds of bunker gear and S.C.B.A equipment on. John knew from all his training that as much as he may want to that house was now way to hot to get near immediately, so he threw on his gear and air tank and went over to his two fellow firefighters, but it was too late.

This was 4 years ago and to this day John blames himself. "If only I would have seen the signs sooner maybe they'd still be alive" he tells himself everyday. As he walks to the kitchen in his 3 bedroom house he looks in the fridge and grabs the milk and Fruity O's and pours himself a bowl for breakfast before work. He looks at the clock, 5:26 A.M. it reads. These last few years have been hard for him. 3 years ago he was in a car accident and totaled his Brand new 2006 Ford Ranger, this was just the beginning though. 3 Months after that Johns wife Jessika left him because she couldn't take the stress of him being a firefighter. That night still plays over and over in his head like a video tape, but to make matters worse his 16 year old son, Malik, was killed in a car wreck by a drunk driver of which he had to respond to.

As John arrived on scene in the big red tanker holding 8000 gallons of water, 500 feet of hose and 3 other crew members with the lights flashing and sirens blaring, he saw the car and instantly recognized his sons 1989 Dodge Ram 50. Even though he had a million emotions running through him, he quickly geared up and called over the radio "This Tanker 689-A, we have arrived on scene, we have 3 vehicles 1 overturned and smoking. We do have entrapment, Station 689 will be assuming command."
He listened to hear dispatch respond, while waiting he saw in the corer of his eye a fourth car on its side on fire, He quickly went on the radio and asked for a tone out of the 5 nearest stations and 4 more ambulances. His first move was not to his son but to telling his crew to grab a hose and charge it now! He grabbed a fire extinguisher and hurried to the car on fire and yelled out "FIRE DEPARTMENT CALL-OUT!" He waited for a second and suddenly he heard a moaning. John quickly pulled the pin on the extinguisher and hollered cover your eyes and mouth, as he sprayed the car a big cloud of black smoke filled the sky. once the flames where out he moved to the windshield of the car and saw a young woman who couldn't hav, e been more than 22 years old with major lacerations to her head. He suddenly heard dispoatch come over the radio what seemed like hours later saying " Tanker 689-A I have you on scene stations 688, 589, 909, 53, and 615 are en route and I have you in command." John replied in the radio "10-4." His next move would be crucial. he went over the radio and announced "All station when you arrive on scene switch to white channel". He then hollered for his crew to grab the spreaders and cutters and stabilizers. As his crew grabbed the equipment he told the lady "Stay calm, my name is John Stonesifer and I am here to help." As he turned around his crew was setting up the tools. The first tool he grabbed were the spreaders as he told the lady to stay calm as you will here a loud noise shoved the cotters on the roof supports and turned them on.

Anything after that was a blur too John, He doesn't remember helping his son or anyone for that matter. All he knew was thanks to his efforts the woman survived. As he flipped through the channels and the stations forty-two inch television, Chief Frank walked in and told John to meet him in his office now. As he arrived in Chiefs office he shut the door and sat down. Chief proceeded to say " John, now I know you have been with this station for 26 years and I think its time for a promotion for you, as of tomorrow you will be a captain if you accept the promotion." He told the Chief thanks and he would have to think about it and would let him know by end of shift. As John walked out he thought to himself "Captain John Stonesifer? Hmmmm, I like the sound of that.".

John sat at the Fire Station, the clock read 2:36 P.M. John got up from his seat and walked outside to smoke a cigarette. As John walks out he gets a weird feeling in his gut that something is wrong. "I've had the feeling before, but not this strong tho." John looks around and sees nothing so he just shrugs and lights up his cigarette.

Text: Ash Rineworth
Publication Date: 01-01-2013

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