There have been only 2 nights in the last 5 where I've actually been in bed at 4AM. The rest of them have seen me taking banged up kids off island via the ferry and helicopter, responding to put out beach fires in accordance to our complete fire ban, driving cut up drunk kids to the local clinic via our ambulance, or checking out problems that the RCMP would normally attend to... if they were here.
Al figured out that if we get 2 more calls tonight (which should be no problem) we will have taken a third of our yearly calls to date this week alone! Out of the 25 that we responded to this week, I think that only 3 of them were NOT fueled by alcohol. The community's patience has been stretched, and the fire department (and those who live with us) are feeling it even more intensely. There's serious talk of closing the liquor store on long weekends.
A few nights ago I had just pulled into our driveway a few nights after finishing a call at 1:15AM. There was a big noisy party just across the road from us at a house owned by an irresponsible woman in Vancouver. It was the breaking point for me. I marched across the road, still in my station clothes, and started screaming at every kid I could see on the street or in the yard. I pushed my way into the house and let them all have it. The shocked stares that I got would have been pretty funny in any other situation. It's not every day a psychotic fireman busts into your house and berates you until the party breaks up.
I love going to call outs, but holy crap! This shit has to stop or I'm gonna have a mental breakdown. Maybe tonight will be quiet.
4 comments:
Your nefarious youth is coming back to haunt you karmically.
I hear ya...if I have to deal with 1 more 16 year old single mom and her party animal friends drinking and doping in front of a baby...I'm sterilizing all females under the age of 25! Okay...I feel better now, hope you do too cuz:)
Brenda - you have the hardest job. You win. Give them all a good swift one for us, would ja? And then a crushing hug. I really believe that's the big one.
Yup, you've become an old man :-)
Give those whippersnappers hell!
As an aside.... came across a copy of the Ladaz tape last night. Good god, it's been a long time :-)
jb.
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