Whew!
I saw an interview on CNN with Captain Brad Hawthorne of Houston, the fireman who was on the ladder during this video. His observation, “Most people will jump before they’ll burn.”
The New Neo
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I saw an interview on CNN with Captain Brad Hawthorne of Houston, the fireman who was on the ladder during this video. His observation, “Most people will jump before they’ll burn.”
I know a firefighter who was on the scene. The roof collapse at the end wasn’t quite as close as it seemed. Pretty scary situation though.
I once called in a fire… the 911 gal kept me on the phone five minutes getting all my particulars BEFORE passing on any details to the second responders.
In those minutes the flames went from a touch of whispy smoke to a raging torrent.
Her sole concern was gaining enough ID so that I could be pursued for arson. THAT’S the first thing, and only thing, on their minds.
You only get to call in one fire in your life. Should you repeat, you’ll be criminally investigated. That’s how it really is.
The ‘system’ expects the alarm to come in by an installed alarm — not a human voice.
If it’s a really dirty or dangerous job, a man will be doing it.
“Most people will jump before they’ll burn.”
Thank you captain obvious. Good work though otherwise…
Astonishing.
I think that’s pretty much universal. See the World Trade Center in 2001 and also the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911.
It probably also has a lot to do with smoke inhalation. Breathing is about the most instinctive thing there is. In the WTC, people broke windows as their offices filled with smoke. I have read that some of the “jumpers” may have actually fallen or been pushed as people crowded against the open windows trying to get air.
For much of World War I, aviators did not have parachutes. Their primitive airplanes, built of wood and canvas with the gas tank in front of the cockpit, were deathtraps when they caught fire. It was very common for pilots to jump to their deaths.
I remember reading Eddie Rickenbacker’s autobiography. He said that his squadron leader, Raoul Lufbery, constantly told the men never to jump, but to try to fly their planes down to a crash landing. At least that gave them a chance of survival, while jumping meant certain death.
One day Lufbery’s own plane was hit and burst into flame. He jumped.
In WWII Japanese Navy pilots usually wouldn’t wear parachutes. At least at the start of the war. And they’d stay with their planes as they burned, too. There are eyewitness accounts.
The Turkey Shoot over the Pacific, forgot which island, happened because the Japanese refused to rotate experienced pilots back to train newer ones. They eventually got to the point where patriotism and will power wasn’t enough for Japanese newbies to defeat hardened veterans.
Blert, sounds like what the operator told Zimmerman to do. Get all the details, find out where the perp is, get the road signs, etc.
Y…
Very much so.
Documentation, not prevention or resolution.
Oh, I dunno. I called the 911 folks when I saw the strobe lights go off late one night in the neighboring office building (landmark structure). The operator took the information about its location, and I heard the siren starting as we hung up. The rig was there in 2 minutes flat. Luckily it was a malfunction of the alarm system, but it gave the boys something to do on a Thursday night. (Our neighborhood has very few fires.)
I presume 911 is run by the state’s agencies, thus the level of manpower quality in the state directly affects how things run on the down low.
I was a NYC Fireman for 11 years before retiring from a line of duty injury. Mist people succumb from the smoke before they burn. And people don’t always have access to a window as they are burning. I once almost went out from smoke. I was as we say “Rocking back on my heels”. It was a pleasant feeling by the time the carbon monoxide was getting to me. I almost pissed myself as well and wouldn’t have gave a damn. We grow a high tolerance for it though. I remember one guy that went to the hospital with smoke inhalation and when the Doc came in he was absolutely gob smacked that he was up, getting dressed and demanding to be released. The Doc was insisting that his carbon monoxide levels should have killed him. I was fine myself after getting back to the firehouse.