How Many Can Remember Their First Call

The first call I answered in NY was a false alarm. My first call here in SC, I will never forget.
It was a structure fire where we lost a mother, and three children. It was a very difficult time
for the entire fire department. This is not the way anyone should have to answer their first alarm, but it happens. I can only prey that I don't have to come accross another alarm such as that.

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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on March 30, 2009 at 10:26pm

My first call was a false alarm at a pallet storage facility. It came in as smoke in the area.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Chmielowiec Jr. on March 30, 2009 at 10:29pm

My first call was for a power poll on fire
Junior
Omnis Cedo Domus

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Permalink Reply by Deanna on March 30, 2009 at 10:43pm

First call was unforgettable. We were called out for a little one that was lost. We went to the property and searched for hours. Our local k-9 kept going to the pond. The grandparents of the young boy decided to drain the pond, and he was about 6 ft off the shore. I had nightmares for months, I sweared that I would quit the firefighting. It's hard when you have a son at home, but I stuck with it, and I think it made me a stronger person. Every year since I have taken a firetruck to his grave and pay my respects. Rest In Peace Jayden.

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Mask on March 30, 2009 at 10:47pm

My first call was a propain fire at the middle school we had to evcacuate half of the town.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Young on March 30, 2009 at 10:56pm

i remember it like it was yesterday.......it was an MVA on the interstate, I was so nervous, I pulled up my pants, put on my coat, suspenders down, my hands were shaking so much, I almost needed help hooking the front of the coat up. Thank God that was before zippers......turned out to be a minor accident, but I will never forget that first call.

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Permalink Reply by Cody Vogt on March 30, 2009 at 11:11pm

i can remember mine like it was just yesterday. it was a 150 acre grass/brush fire. i was on the third truck out "tender" following two brush trucks. the next day i was at the station and the people who owned the property had relit it and i made first truck. it was a blast.

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Permalink Reply by Ron King (Fire Chief) on March 30, 2009 at 11:16pm

My first call was a fire alarm, my heart was beating out of my chest! It turned out to be false but what a call!

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Permalink Reply by Sheri Caelwaerts on March 30, 2009 at 11:20pm

My first call at my second department was a house fire.....in winter, and I had a cold. I had taken NyQuil, but it hadn't worked, so I took a second dose about five hours after the first. It "kicked" in about an hour into the call...I was running air bottles from the first engine to the back of the house. I suddenly felt like I was walking thru a wall of water up to my shoulders!!! Fortunatly, I was able to sit a while on the back of the engine until the feeling passed. But, I never took any cold medicine again before bed, just in case!!!! LOL!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Vito on March 30, 2009 at 11:30pm

My first call 11 years ago, a factory fire, Task Bravo Alarm (that is 8th Alarm to you if that applies ) or which is around 30 fire trucks are committed to this effort on suround and drown mode. More than 4 hours of fire, a house 50 meters away from the fire. Open up a free Dunkin Donut stand and it was really great to eat donuts and refreshments after hard work. At the beginning of the fire as a probie, my OIC did not gave me the nozzle because the situation at the beginning is too dangerous for me. Then after that fire, it was first time for me they gave me the nozzle for overhauling.

But later on I was given the nozzle on my second fire involving a residential structure fire. So my second fire is more memorable than the first because it was my first interior fire.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Bell on March 30, 2009 at 11:50pm

my first call was a car fire. this dumb drunk ran his honda accord off in a ditch and spun his tires until they got so hot the grass under the car caught on fire then it just escalated from there.he got out of the car leaving his four dogs inside. as we were putting the fire out we could hear the dogs yelping and then it went silent we couldnt get it out in time.

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Permalink Reply by Gordon "Gopher" Runer on March 31, 2009 at 12:55am

My first ever fire call was for a cotton fire. We had to move the whole pile by hand in order to get down to where it was burning. Somehow it got me hooked.

Gopher