You still feel the anxiety of not knowing where the fire was or what would happen next, but there is a sense of calmness returning. Suddenly, the rush of fear returns. You hear glass shattering and a voice screaming. It s coming from a senior-level management office, on the floor right above you. You rush over to the window to see what is happening.
Panic turns to anger.
But please watch your hoses and where you walk. Many times I feel like the fire chief who is turned away by the owner of a burning building. While the sincerity of the request is real, it is immediately followed by the conditions upon which I will be allowed to enter the building with my fire fighting equipment. We re understaffed so we can t pull anyone away from their jobs. We re behind on our projects so we can t evacuate.