Fire Alarm

The second I hear it I am up and moving. Grab a flashlight, put on boots and out the door... and then I fly. I fly down the hill pumping my legs like I have not done in years. I want to be there first.

The Holden fire alarm is a siren that we call "The Wail". It is the old fashioned siren that used to call rural firefighters in from their homes to fires. Very much like the WWII sirens from the movies in my childhood. When the siren sounds we all move; some to put on fire fighting gear, some to staff a hose house and some of us fly... we fly to be the first to the building so we can be searchers. 99.9 of the time there is no fire just some bug in an alarm or smoke from cooking or a shower. The searchers go into the building first, 2 by 2, and find the problem and if it is small we put it out. Any fire with any danger requires the fire brigade (the people in yellow suits and helmets) but since that is so rare, we searchers rule.

I find this responsibility exillerating!!! Running hard and fast; flying by guests as if I knew what I were doing; all to get there early so I am assured a piece of the action. I always have been a bit of an ambulance chaser but this beats anything at home. We have had 2 alarms in 24 hours and I think I might be getting in shape.