FIRE TRUCKS AND TRAINS

FIRE TRUCKS AND TRAINS

The “Triple Cross” is in Richmond, Virginia. It is said to be the only place in the United States of America and possibly the world where three Class 1 railroads cross at different levels over the same spot.

Near the “Triple Cross” stands Main Street Station, the “Grand Dame.” The splendid station opened in 1901. It stands majestically alongside interstate 95 and is the building that traveling parents point out to their children as the building with the big clock on top. She has survived great fires and great floods, hell and high water.

We, the Richmond Fire Department, were inside of the clock tower at a little after 7 on the evening of Friday, October 7, 1983. I was a new Captain and the Big Red One was first in on a six alarm fire at Main Street Station. We had fought a two alarm fire in row houses earlier that day. At the Main Street Station fire we lost the entire fifth floor, the roof, and damaged the clock. We watched sunrise on Main Street.

When I recall our history and how interesting and important it can be I wonder often about the thoughts of the children and young people who have seen the famous clock and cherish that old memory. How do they see us and how will our generation of this historic and proud fire department be remembered? Will we be seen or remembered at all? Will we be recalled as good stewards of our vast history? Did we work hard enough to save important things? Will we be just an old newspaper clip or a brief story in the twenty-four hour news cycle? Will we be a generation who made a difference? Did we make it better? Will the children continue to love our fire trucks and trains?

What an awesome privilege I have had for nearly forty years to be one of a large group of ones who the children wave at when we drive past, or stare at wide eyed when we visit their school room, or evoke their priceless laughter when we demonstrate the donning of our gear or we slide the pole for them. How many of them remember our STOP, DROP, AND ROLL lessons and do they remind Mom and Dad to check the batteries that protects them, their dolls, their fire trucks and their trains?

Young people in the Fire Service today need to look back to see their way forward and to stay on track. We the more seasoned ones cherish our fire department and our history. Our limps, our tired gates and lightly colored hair should mean simply to you that we were the fortunate ones and we wish for you to find what we found was worth fighting for. You will now hold the children who made us all smile and also those who made us cry more times than we wish we could remember.

Fire Departments and trains are much alike. They are both vital, their history is celebrated in picture and in book, they both are powerful enough to move heavy workloads and the emotions of a child, they both follow historical paths and their hard days and nights are spent delivering sunshine to people who need it.

I remember boarding the train and the feeling of pride and responsibility. I learned the history of the train and I understood that this train didn’t need me at all and would keep pulling the load with or without me. I also learned that if I wanted to stay on I better hustle, buckle up and hold on. I didn’t whine when we hit bumps or it rained, and as long as we were going forward I was proud to be onboard and to try to do more than my part to make the train and the trip better. I waved when I was supposed to even knowing that the parents and the children were not waving at me but at us and at those who came before us, and that their salutes were directed to our thirty-eight members who we lost on the trip.

If you forget how you felt when you boarded, or if you didn’t feel anything at all, the train will make another stop soon. You will notice people waiting to board who are hungry to own something, to feel something, to belong to something, to love something and to be loved. They will have charity in their eyes, and miles on their worn shoes, and their jeans may be as tattered and as old as the Main Street Station – but they still stand up proudly with broad shoulders, a lot to give and a boxcar full of heart. Fire Trucks and trains need lots of heart.

The train is pulling out.

Get on or get off – it’s your choice.

Our trip is safe and smooth if everyone couples up and pulls together.

Get on the line and do your part.

Are you coupling up or just passing time?

Are the children waving at you?

What’s your destination?

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Have a great day – it’s a GREAT day for it.