"Twas just hours before midnight, the station was dark,
the trucks were all polished and left in park.
All had gone home to sleep or watch Dick Clark on TV,
for home with the family was the best place to be.

The children were asleep, piled on the living room floor
after pleas of "just one hour more".
The family and I, all together we sat
while my turnouts made a bed for the cat.

When from my pager there came such a sound.
with all those tones I knew it was a house burning down.
I gave a quick kiss to the kids, to the rest I did wave,
pulled on my turnouts and did my best to look brave.

The icy crust on the snow looked like a frosty mug
I'm glad my family will be home safe and snug.
Threw it into four wheel drive and away I did go,
out to the station in two feet of snow.

"With all this fuel and wind the fire will grow quick."
I heard the chief say as I shifted the stick.
Now the tones went off again and added departments galore
A long night ahead we all had in store.

"A tanker to A side, the ladder to B, we need RIT at the door, search floors one, two and three,
set up a shuttle, down at the pond, cut deep through the ice to where clear water will be.
Bring in the camera, there are people to find,
Watch for each other, leave no one behind,"

As hot embers glowing bright in the winds did fly,
they danced around trees and lit up the sky.
Up to the rooftop a team went
to cut holes so the fire could vent.

Then through the radio we heard a joyous sound,
the mother,father and children were found.
Out through the smoke they were carried
and even their new puppy named Harry.

A sigh of relief, a smile or two,
then back to work is what we must do.
There is still smoke, heat, a fire to beat
before any of us can get off our feet.

Stops in rehab, then on with new packs,
with all the water and cold, they freeze to our backs.
Still through the cold and the ice we continue to fight
and then we notice the smoke starting to get light.

There's hard work to be finished,
hose rolled, packs filled and trucks to be polished.
The coffee pot goes on, the gear it comes off,
our street clothes are soaked like we've been thrown in a trough.

A stretch and a yawn, we all start to rise,
it's been a long night, we can hardly keep open our eyes.
Home to our family that's where we will go,
if only we can drive through all the snow.

Then at the door we hear a soft whine, notice the spotlight has started to shine.
We open the door and who do we find?
The Mom, Dad, children and Harry too,
"Happy New Year and Thank You!"