Tanker Fire

Firephone went off at 04:25 and I in my slumber managed not to kill myself stumbling down the stairs to answer it.

The dispatcher said, "Tanker fully involved 18/81"

Wiping sleep from my eyes I believe I was more concerned with, "where the heck is 1881? An 1881 what?"

I ran upstairs, pulled on my jeans, said good-bye to hubby and ran the block to the station.

Once there we were told it was a diesal truck on the junction of 18 & 81. Made sense now. I quickly don the smallest set of turnouts, hoping the owner was still asleep, jumped aboard 401, our newest pumper.

Before we pulled out we were informed it was a propane truck and NOT to get out until we were sure what we were facing.

We left out of there lickety split with minor shifting problems. ;)

As we turned onto K18 and were about 2/3 way there we could see the smoke, but no fire up on the Interstate. That's odd I thought as I was asking questions on how to fight a blaze such as this.

As we head to toward the on ramp dispatch comes on to inform us we are heading to. "a tanker carrying... pancake syrup."

"Pancake syrup?"

We three in the cab look at each other. Phil in the middle takes out the HazMat book and rifles through it. "How in the world do you put out a pancake syrup fire?"

I shrugged, I'm new at this. "Batter?"

We shared a laugh. Dispatch came on shortly after we headed up the on ramp to inform us the "rival" town had knocked down the fire.

We continued..., arrived, got out, talked to their chief. "So," we asked "What happened?"

"Fire," says Minneapolis Chief.

"Oh?"

We joked about hot maple syrup and going back home to get containers.

A Minneapolis EMT-I came up between me and Brian (a Bennington FF) and asked, "so, what happened?"

Brian and I looked at each other, back at the truck, "Fire" we informed him.

We waited until they released traffic before we went home. After we were back, Chief asked, "so, who's first thought was terrorists?"

We shared a chuckle before dispersing back to our beds. It was now 05:45.

I walked home and well.... Since I had to be up in an hour anyway, made pancakes for the family's breakfast.

Vanessa
FF/EMT Ottawa County
Fire District #4

RETURN

Tanker Fire

Firephone went off at 04:25 and I in my slumber managed not to kill myself stumbling down the stairs to answer it.

The dispatcher said, "Tanker fully involved 18/81"

Wiping sleep from my eyes I believe I was more concerned with, "where the heck is 1881? An 1881 what?"

I ran upstairs, pulled on my jeans, said good-bye to hubby and ran the block to the station.

Once there we were told it was a diesal truck on the junction of 18 & 81. Made sense now. I quickly don the smallest set of turnouts, hoping the owner was still asleep, jumped aboard 401, our newest pumper.

Before we pulled out we were informed it was a propane truck and NOT to get out until we were sure what we were facing.

We left out of there lickety split with minor shifting problems. ;)

As we turned onto K18 and were about 2/3 way there we could see the smoke, but no fire up on the Interstate. That's odd I thought as I was asking questions on how to fight a blaze such as this.

As we head to toward the on ramp dispatch comes on to inform us we are heading to. "a tanker carrying... pancake syrup."

"Pancake syrup?"

We three in the cab look at each other. Phil in the middle takes out the HazMat book and rifles through it. "How in the world do you put out a pancake syrup fire?"

I shrugged, I'm new at this. "Batter?"

We shared a laugh. Dispatch came on shortly after we headed up the on ramp to inform us the "rival" town had knocked down the fire.

We continued..., arrived, got out, talked to their chief. "So," we asked "What happened?"

"Fire," says Minneapolis Chief.

"Oh?"

We joked about hot maple syrup and going back home to get containers.

A Minneapolis EMT-I came up between me and Brian (a Bennington FF) and asked, "so, what happened?"

Brian and I looked at each other, back at the truck, "Fire" we informed him.

We waited until they released traffic before we went home. After we were back, Chief asked, "so, who's first thought was terrorists?"

We shared a chuckle before dispersing back to our beds. It was now 05:45.

I walked home and well.... Since I had to be up in an hour anyway, made pancakes for the family's breakfast.

Vanessa FF/EMT Ottawa County Fire District #4

Vanessa
FF/EMT Ottawa County
Fire District #4