I am so proud of our firefighters. Not only do they do an outstanding job fighting fires and running our ambulance system, but they are always there to help anyone needing assistance. Law enforcement officers have a way of exercising authority by requesting people do this or that. Firefighters are far more likely to simply say, "May I help you?" I have seen this occur dozens of times over the 17 years my wife and I have been residents of Bella Vista.
We recently had a house burn down in Bella Vista, and it was my privilege to assist the firefighters with the family and friends involved. When I arrived on the scene, one of the firefighters in charge immediately directed me to one of the family members in distress. The look on his face said it all. "She needs your help, chaplain. Do your best to help her." I tried, but there is no way to eliminate the grief and pain one feels when he or she is watching a home burn down right in front of them. Yes, there is gratification in knowing that no one was injured or killed -- but that does not bring back the animals who lost their lives. Only those of us who love animals can truly know the feeling of loss that brings to a situation.
On that day, I watched our firefighters perform their duties with professional skill, yet take time to answer the family and friends' questions and make sure they were all safe. Sometimes, this simply meant offering a helping hand crossing a ditch, and at other times it meant keeping them safely away from the danger a burning house poses. In the midst of this, I watched one family member ask a firefighter if it was possible to save a plaque from the house. The firefighters entered the still-smoldering house to return with the plaque safely under his arm. I'm sure that meant a great deal to the family.
On another occasion, I was ministering to a woman who had just experienced a fire in her apartment and watched the sprinkler system completely drench everything. No one was allowed to enter the apartment, but when I mentioned that the woman's computer was in a certain room and meant a lot to her, a firefighter immediately went inside and retrieved it. Apparently, he cared, and she was grateful -- with tears in her eyes.
In order to protect themselves from being burned, firefighters must wear heavy, protective clothing, something some of us might wear during the coldest day in winter. Working firefighters are HOT, and if they are not in good physical condition, they are very susceptible to collapsing from the heat. After fighting a fire, it is impossible to find a firefighter who is not completely wet from sweat.
It's not easy to extinguish a burning house fire. While I understand the situation mentally, I still find it almost impossible to believe. First, the firefighters have to have water, but too often the closest fire hydrant is several hundred yards away from the fire. That means they have to quickly attach a large hose and unwind it back to the fire trucks. Fire trucks do carry water, but the amount is insignificant when dealing with a large fire. As one firefighter explained, the temperature in a house fire may well approach 2,800 degrees, hot enough to actually burn out the windows. It is almost beyond belief to watch a large stream of water being shot into a burning house only to have it turn to steam before it encounters the fire. Wow! That's hot. I once watched the heat from a burning home reach out over 20 feet away to a car in the driveway and melt it down.
I remember how some people questioned the need for a ladder truck in Bella Vista, but ours has proven its worth many times over. Not only can the ladder be used for fires in upper-story buildings, but it is very useful in allowing water to be directed down upon the fire. As I mentioned before, the temperature is extremely high, and having a fire truck sitting in the road away from the fire with its ladder extended so that it can direct the bulk of the water directly into the place where it is needed is significant. When we first obtained our ladder truck, I had the privilege of climbing the ladder, and I can affirm firsthand that it's a long way up there.
Our firefighters receive hundreds of 911 calls every year. Most of them are minor, but there are others that are extremely significant. One only has to consider the fire that wiped out the Home Building Supply Store just off U.S. Highway 71 and the various home fires during the past year to know this. It's great to know that someone cares and is there to help.
Add to the work our firefighters do regarding fire the fact that all of them are medically trained and operate our ambulances on a daily basis, and you have a tremendous asset to our city. Thank you, firefighters for all you do for us.
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Robert Box is the former chaplain for the Bella Vista Police Department and is currently the Fire Department chaplain. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 09/14/2016