I am a fireman
May 21, 2006
I am a fireman. For the past two years I have been putting out fires big and small, quickly and efficiently, using minimal resources. I’ve taught other people to become firemen and damn good ones too. I’ve written manuals on being a fireman, given presentations on firefighting, and if I were to toot my own horn further, I would say I drive the damn firetruck pretty well too.
As a good fireman, as long as the supply of water kept coming, I had no fear of ever being a less effective fireman. Sometimes I had surplus water that I could give to less fortunate firemen. Sometimes I would use surplus water to prevent future fires. It was a damn fine time for fire prevention.
Sometime last year the taps were sucked dry. I didn’t have enough amounts of water to fight all the fires I usually do. I had to ask for water supplies and ration everything. Here and there we were able to take small amounts of water too. As such, I spent more of the water on putting out deadly fires, emergency fires, and very little on preventing fires. Times were tough for all of the city’s bravest. Most, including myself, thought it was just a drought; a seasonal dip in water supplies, but after such a long drought I think even the most naive are beginning to doubt the water level and our ability to fight fires.
Well as if things weren’t bad enough, soon, water rations will be even more scarce than before. There will be no point in looking for water because even the ponds and puddles are drying up. Forget about official water rations because they’re giving out those tetra pack juices to fight fires. Now, we have to hold buckets outside and hope and pray for rain which certainly does not come everyday.
Obviously our fire fighting ability will be severely hindered. I’m hoping the fire chief is not expecting the same amount of fire prevention. No one, not even a firefighter as good as me, is able to exponentially increase efficiency with such a reduction in resources. The good old days of fighting blazes is over. At best we can put out birthday candles and sparklers.
If the city bitches that there are too many fires then I think my days of being a firefighter will be over.
