Well yesterday was a mad scramble to get things tightened up before we hit 95 north for New Jersey. Lots to pack up into the Suburban and a check list of things to do at home and The Fly Barn. I spent some time with the push mower just to give the grass a tight trim. Hopefully is doesn't grow buck wild while I'm gone. With the recent focus on the fence and the siding I soon hope to turn my
hope to turn my attention to the getting the boats, well at least the skiff, ready for some time on the water. I'm thinking of dropping it off and having it onced over by a boat guy before taking her out. On the way home I stopped at a place way, way in the back that was getting flooded on the big tide.
I've heard that during the winter months redfish explore far from the bigger waters, even to the point where they stuck on the dropping tides. I'll be ready to finally find some fish when I return in November.
It's a straight shot down some long country roads going from Ridgeland to Bluffton. There's not much on the road and on one long stretch there's just a firehouse occupied by Jasper County Fire - Rescue. As I made my way south I saw a firetruck pull out and park across the street, partially blocking traffic. At first I thought he was going to back in but as I got closer I saw the smoke.
By the time I got there the lone firefighter had stretched a hose line and was putting water on a tractor trailer that was hauling garbage. Something inside must have combusted and it was just starting to take off. He was alone, so I grabbed my turnout coat and went over to see if he wanted a hand. He looked at the patch on the arm and said, "Hey brother, Newark, can you take this line?".
He wanted to get the driver to dump the load and pull the tractor away so it didn't also catch fire. He's a one man show, a paid Lieutenant manning the station, driving, and beginning firefighting before the next companies arrive which is some distance away. So basically he had to hear the driver laying on the airhorn in front of the firehouse, instruct him where to park, radio it in, drive the apparatus, put it in pump, stretch the line, wet it, and then operate it. That's pretty impressive in the few minutes it took me to get from where I was down the street to where he was. In my Newark days engine companies ran with one officer and four firefighters.
While he handled the driver and the truck the one side was knocked down so I went and grabbed a hook off the truck to start opening up the tightly packed garbage on the other side. Realizing it would take more overhaul then just a few pokes with a hook we stretched a second line to keep it in check,
thus hitting it from both sides. It's been a bit since I had a nozzle in my hand, and yes, I miss it, tremendously, even shitty garbage fires like this. Soon his help arrived and then there were three.
Not wanting to linger I told him nice job and I tip my hat to him, especially if he had a structure fire and had to do the same thing. He asked if I would like to join, "Either paid or volunteer", and I answered, "No, I'm good brother", and let him get back to work.
If there were a few firemen there when I approached I wouldn't have stopped but with just one guy, it just felt like the right thing to do. I always carry that turnout coat and first aid bags with me for just these kind of situations. While not life threatening or medical in any way, it's still nice to assist when I can. I never want to feel helpless if, well, when, I come across these things, and I seem to do it a lot. Just the other day near that bridge where I fish there was a two-car head-on crash, with two people needing to be Medevacked from the scene. I wasn't there, but was earlier before it happened. You just never know when and where you'll be when things go sideways.
And before we head out today we both did some job searching, contacting, and interviewing. We both got our fingerprints done yesterday for the FBI background checks which is the last thing we need to get our nursing licenses endorsed by South Carolina.
I also had some correspondence from the Dean of Nursing at the University of South Carolina so that may be an option for me to consider. I don't do Indeed, but today I did and found out Hilton Head is looking for an Assistant Public Safety Director, so hey why not me?
I did it to just do it. You never know. At least my application and resume went though because I got email back from Hilton Head's HR department shortly after I submitted it.
I think my chances are slim to none, but, you never know where you might wind up in this life. Who woudda thought that I would ever be penning this blog from South Carolina?