December 21, 2004
Perfect Christmastime firefighter series
Firefighters are a band of brothers
By Erin Smith/ Staff Writer, Townline.com
Friday, December 17, 2004
(This is the first in a series of stories about the fire stations in Allston and Brighton.)
Monstrous plumes of black smoke fill the air, and the enveloping darkness only seems to amplify the roar of the inferno gnawing at the walls of the house.
But an experienced firefighter knows the ears are more reliable than the eyes in detecting flames.
"It's not like TV. You can't see your hand in front of your face," said Lieutenant Charles Popp of the Union Square firehouse, Ladder 14 and Engine 41.
Popp, like many seasoned firefighters, has learned to rely on the temperature his ear lobes to gauge his distance from the flames. The ear lobes, an important tool of the trade, tell firefighters the location of the fire's center.
In fighting fires, location is everything. If a hose is too far away from the blaze, water might not reach far enough to extinguish the flames, but getting too close to the fire's center could be life threatening.
"The worst part of the fire is the beginning when you're going through the door because you can't see and I think, 'I don't have to be here,'" said Popp.
But Popp, who began working as a firefighter 20 years ago, is also quick to add how much fun he has fighting fires.
In recent times, fires in Allston-Brighton have been few and far between after decades of aggressive fire prevention campaigns and improved safety equipment. Fire companies now spend most of their time responding to medical emergency calls.
The tools have also changed. Firefighters' protective jackets now have three layers of fire-resistant material in place of the former rubber raincoat material; oxygen tanks with masks are now a requirement; and compressed-air foam now often flows through the hoses instead of water. A computer laptop inside the truck even receives 911 addresses and messages from dispatch.
But despite all the technology upgrades, "The Brotherhood" itself has largely remained unchanged. Firefighters at the Union Square station spend so much time together during and after work that they tend to be more like close-knit families than co-workers, teasing their newest brothers with embarrassing nicknames, like "Okie."
During the long hours between alarm calls, the members of Ladder 14 and Engine 41 sit down at the station's long wooden dining table after working together to cook family-style dinners of spaghetti or ribs. Shift families root for the Red Sox together on game ...................(click title bar to continue!)
By Erin Smith/ Staff Writer, Townline.com
Friday, December 17, 2004
(This is the first in a series of stories about the fire stations in Allston and Brighton.)
Monstrous plumes of black smoke fill the air, and the enveloping darkness only seems to amplify the roar of the inferno gnawing at the walls of the house.
But an experienced firefighter knows the ears are more reliable than the eyes in detecting flames.
"It's not like TV. You can't see your hand in front of your face," said Lieutenant Charles Popp of the Union Square firehouse, Ladder 14 and Engine 41.
Popp, like many seasoned firefighters, has learned to rely on the temperature his ear lobes to gauge his distance from the flames. The ear lobes, an important tool of the trade, tell firefighters the location of the fire's center.
In fighting fires, location is everything. If a hose is too far away from the blaze, water might not reach far enough to extinguish the flames, but getting too close to the fire's center could be life threatening.
"The worst part of the fire is the beginning when you're going through the door because you can't see and I think, 'I don't have to be here,'" said Popp.
But Popp, who began working as a firefighter 20 years ago, is also quick to add how much fun he has fighting fires.
In recent times, fires in Allston-Brighton have been few and far between after decades of aggressive fire prevention campaigns and improved safety equipment. Fire companies now spend most of their time responding to medical emergency calls.
The tools have also changed. Firefighters' protective jackets now have three layers of fire-resistant material in place of the former rubber raincoat material; oxygen tanks with masks are now a requirement; and compressed-air foam now often flows through the hoses instead of water. A computer laptop inside the truck even receives 911 addresses and messages from dispatch.
But despite all the technology upgrades, "The Brotherhood" itself has largely remained unchanged. Firefighters at the Union Square station spend so much time together during and after work that they tend to be more like close-knit families than co-workers, teasing their newest brothers with embarrassing nicknames, like "Okie."
During the long hours between alarm calls, the members of Ladder 14 and Engine 41 sit down at the station's long wooden dining table after working together to cook family-style dinners of spaghetti or ribs. Shift families root for the Red Sox together on game ...................(click title bar to continue!)
