My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Ladder Company 6 (Engine Company 22)
Chapter 7: Back in Business (As Told By: Greta)
It took us three months, three months of time to recollect ourselves and get back to the station. We got news from the City Counsel that the architects and building inspectors were to be arrested and charged with ten counts of pony-slaughter. The means there will be justice for the victims and their families of the Princess Royale Fire.
My name is Greta. Along with my best friend Gilda, we are the engineers. It's our job to drive the rigs to the scene, and help set them up to fight the fire. We even work on rescue operations. After all, that is what we are trained to do. That morning, there was big news. A letter came from the city, "What does it say?" I asked the Captain.
"Well, it seems I'm keeping that third spot in the garage," Captain Gordon joked, we laughed, "but we're getting new equipment, the mayor has granted us a formal apology for sending us second-hoof trucks, and we to conduct a fire safety class for a local elementary school in Ponyville," we were all excited to be teaching some fillies and colts.
"I told' em that we're keeping these rigs, they're in good talons," Captain Gordon said, as soon as he said that we got call. We rushed into our gear, and raced out of the station. We were called to a rail depot where a train of hay-cars caught on fire, but there was a problem, "The tanker cars are carrying crude oil, we need this under control!"
"Giselle, Genevieve on the hose! Gilda you're in the aerial, Greta on the turret, Billie, Gretchen man the other hose, let's go! C'mon let's go!" Gordon ordered to us amid the flames and black smoke doing into the sky. None of us wanted to relive the fire at the Princess Royale Hotel. It was also time that Gretchen get to know the hose team.
"I'm on it!" I said to the captain as the outriggers were in place, "let's go, Gilda!"
"Charge it, Gretchen!" Gilda called down to our rookie firefighter that was still gaining experience in the field,
Gordon was on the deck gun to create a wall of water to prevent the flames from spreading. There is a certain rush that comes with fighting a fire. It's a kind of excitement that comes with going into action. You're up against an element that is unpredictable. As Captain Gordon says, you have to be prepared for anything, you're a professional.
We were the first to get water on the fire, and other companies were on the scene. Captain Five Alarm's guys over at Station 2 got a new truck, a 2013 Spartan ERV tower ladder, "It's good to see you ladies again!" said Captain Five Alarm. In memory of those who died in the great hotel fire, our ladder truck was now named 'Princess Royale,'
"The ponies call, we answer!" I replied, and moved Gilda into a better position of attack. We firefighters work on what we call 'the buddy system'. When you go into a burning building, temperatures can get very hot often over 1200 degrees. If I see that Firefighter Gretchen or Firefighter Giselle is in danger, I can signal to them it's time to get out.
Gilda, Billie, or I can pat them on the shoulder and say 'let's get out, it's getting too dangerous'. We're the ones that go into a burning building when everypony or everybirdy else is getting out. More trucks were being called in as this fire was getting dangerous, and all the more serious, "HIT THE DECK!" Billie yelled as the oil tanker cars exploded.
The cars were lifted three feet off the ground, and exploded. The water curtain didn't work. The tanker cars overheated. Every firefighter on site hit the ground, and shards of shrapnel were sent in all directions. Billie and Gretchen were back on their talons and bringing the fight back to the blaze, "Gilda switch to the foam setting!" I radioed to her,
The conductor and crew were safe, suffering from smoke inhalation and burns, but the fire was out, "First time at the hose, aye Basket Bird?" asked Billie to Gretchen
"It won't be the last," Gretchen replied, doing as she was trained. Because of her size, it made it easy to put her in the basket, hence her nickname.
Gretchen nodded as we cleaned up, our trucks didn't fair well. The shrapnel from the blast damaged both our trucks, and deemed them unsuitable for action. It was so sad to see our trucks go like that even if we had them for only a short period of time. For weeks once again, we were out of commission due to damage to our station's fire trucks.
Billie's right flank was injured by shrapnel, but still she was walking around. Gilda had burns on her talons, as well as a burnt tail which was wrapped in gauze and bandaging. Now Gilda is calling Billie 'Bandage Butt' for a laugh. Billie won't be able to dunk for a while when we play basketball in the back. She has a pretty good 3-point shot though.
"Well companies, we can't save our trucks, it's sad I know, but...we finally got the budget we were hoping for from the city, and those big wigs sent us these," we all got the shock of a lifetime, "they thought we could use a truck that carries both ladders and hose, so they got us an E-One Quest Quint with an 135ft ladder, just for you, Gretchen,"
There were two windows on each side of the cab, and between them were places for our medical supplies, "And for you Greta, a new custom pumper-tanker unit," he added.
To my surprise, Gretchen wasn't scared of the tower unit. She looked ready to work. We got our chance only hours after being introduced to our new trucks. A semi-truck carrying fireworks on the main highway going to Manehattan had caught on fire. We rushed out of the station with both ten-wheelers. You have to be prepared for anything.