Report From Engine Co. 82 - Dennis Smith [24]
Suddenly, the fire starts pushing in at us. It’s coming hard, and our line can’t hold it back. We know what it is. A company has opened a line from the front fire escape, and they are pushing the fire toward us. We have to retreat to the hall again. Captain Albergray calls the Chief on the walkie-talkie, and asks him to have that line shut down. In a minute the order is given, and the fire lets up. We can move in once more.
Carmine takes the nozzle from Vinny, and I move behind Carmine. We know now that we’ll have to drown this fire, not attack it, and we try to get in the most comfortable position possible. Carmine sits on his heels, and I kneel on both knees.
We start to get sprayed with rebounding water. Engine 73 is above us, and trying to move in. Carmine leans over, puts one hand on top of his helmet, and starts shaking his head. He doesn’t say anything, but his head still shakes.
“What’s wrong, Carmine?” I ask.
“I think I got burned.”
“Where?”
“On the neck.”
I ask Captain Albergray for his lamp. Carmine is still moving the nozzle back and forth. I move his helmet up, and pull back his coat. “You did get burned, Carmine. It’s all blistered already, about three inches long. It must have been an ember.”
Carmine moves out, and Vinny takes the nob. I try to think of something funny to say to Captain Albergray. I can tell that he doesn’t feel too happy. “Your company is slowly diminishing, Cap,” I say. “Pretty soon there won’t be any more Engine 82.”
He smiles resignedly, and says, “It’s just one of those things. Look at the great job we did earlier. No one got hurt there. This is just one of those fires. They happen from time to time, that’s all.”
The fire has darkened down. Chief Kelsen calls on the walkie-talkie: “Engine 82, I’m sending Engine 88 to relieve you. Report to me in front of the fire building.”
We don’t mind giving the line to Engine 88, because it’s only a question of holding the position now, and keeping water on the fire. We did our job. The pressure is off and we walk down the stairs to a well-needed break.
Vinny Royce, Captain Albergray, and I report to the Chief. He is a big man, handsome in that disciplined military way. His eyes are bright and alert, and as I look at them I can sense intelligence and concern. “You did a good job in there, Cap,” he says to Albergray. “Take your men now and rest for a while.” He looks at Vinny and me, “Nice job, 82.”
We walk to the pumper where Benny, Jim, and Carmine are sitting, waiting for an ambulance to take them to the hospital. I am about to ask them how they feel, but Benny speaks first. “Did you hear about Richie Rittman?”
“What?” Vinny asks.
“He broke his ankle—at least they think it’s broke, but he made a good rescue. He got two kids and their mother out from up above. They were huddled in a bathroom. And as he was carrying a kid down the aerial he missed the last rung and went over on his foot. They took him to Bronx Hospital, so I guess we’ll see him there.”
I go to get a drink of water from a kind of spigot Bill has set up at the hydrant. My mouth is very dry, but that happens after every fire. As I swallow the water, a strange feeling makes me bend over and spit out what is left in my mouth. It feels like the water has been pressed through a pinhole. The throat passage isn’t working right, and I tell Captain Albergray that I can’t swallow normally. He sends me to the Chief.
The Chief takes my name and tells me to wait with the others for the ambulance. Besides the guys from Engine 82 there is a man from Engine 45 who tripped over a hose in the hall. He has a gash across his forehead, and he holds a handkerchief to it.