A cold and silent night,

When in the distance a fire alarm

And the sky is lit up bright.

My wife is rising from our bed

To calm our young sons' tears,

As I swing my legs over the edge

And pull on my turnout gear.

The cold night air slaps me in the face

As I head toward my car

And I think to myself, Why am I doing this

I probably don't know who they are.

But my adrenalin is flowing

God gives me the strength that I need.

No matter whose house it may be

I know I must succeed.

Engine One has responded,

Tanker One is near.

I hope no one is in the house

As I put on my breathing gear.

The fire blazes around us

As we crawl along the floor.

We hear muffled choking cries

From behind a bedroom door.

We enter the room and find a boy

About the age of mine

Thank God that we have reached him

Barely, just in time.

And when the fire is over

And the damage has been done,

I return home tired but thankful

That I can still hug my wife and son.

Author: Vernon P. Anderson