Thursday, June 9, 2011

Daily EMS Team Reporting For Duty

We went on our usual daily walk around noon today. Nothing much to report, except that our dumpsters have not been emptied. The same thing happened last Thursday, but they were emptied the following day. Possibly our garbage day has shifted to Fridays now. I got so used to the Thursday garbage day. Oh well.
We finished our walk with little to report, not much happening on the walk. But just as we were approaching our house we heard the siren. It got closer, and closer, then it sounded like it was on the next street over, and it stopped. What now!
We turned around and started walking, back in the direction we had just come from. Sure enough there was a fire truck stopped. The first responders were bent over an individual who was not moving. It looked like a kid.
Then the ambulance arrived, got the stretcher, and the individual was put on the stretcher and moved to the ambulance in short order. Sure enough, it was a youth, looked to be a male maybe 13. He was at best unconscious.
I can't imagine being a member of the Fire, Ambulance or Police. I thought about it when I was younger, and talked out of it from a family member who was with the Ambulance Service.
There were no police at the scene. I guess that's a good thing.
The helicopter is in the air above me as I type this entry. Please, let this day be uneventful. And while I am at it, let the weekend be uneventful too.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Can't You See I Am Trying To Work Here?

I went out of town today, for work. I had just gotten home and was working on the computer, finishing up a couple of reports before the day was out. So, I was busy.
I heard the sirens. I also heard the helicopter a few times. Then one of the batches of sirens stopped really close. You know the ones, WUUAAAAUUUU   WUUAAAAUUUU   WUUAAAAUUUU   WUUA... and it just stops. It's never a good sign when the sirens stop before fading into the distance.
But I was busy. I can't get up every time a siren stops close by. I had work to do, and I wanted to get it finished.
Next thing I know, my husband comes over and suggests I take a look out the window. Oh, alright, I guess my work will have to wait a few minutes. I take a look and see not one, but two fire trucks, and a few other vehicles. It was hard to tell just from the window, but I could see it was something big. So, I decided to take a better look, got my shoes on, and headed outside.
A few of the neighbours had already gathered to watch the fire trucks. It seems the vacant burned out lot down the street wanted company. The house beside it has gone up in flames this time. I am not sure the extent of the fire just now, as the police are not letting people get too close. Something about "we don't want you breathing in any bad fumes" or something. One of the neighbours said there had been quite a bit of water put on this one. And it seems this fire has warranted three fire trucks, two fire supervisor vehicles and two police cars. Oh, and one reporter. Maybe we'll get more details on this one from the news.
I stayed out on the street catching up on happenings in the area with the neighbours. It was only two weeks ago that the neighbouring property burned to the ground. There was a stabbing early this morning a few blocks away, and two other stabbings a couple of days earlier. We had a shooting in the lane a month ago, and those mysterious screams two weeks ago. Then there were the illegal dumpings in my lane, and those in behind the neighbours house. There was the illegal dumping that happened at the boarded house, where By-Laws is working on charging the landlord. And the block gained another boarded house just last month.
After catching up on news, it was time to call another neighbourhood meeting to an end. We all headed to our respective homes, and left the fire engines to their business.