The Other Heroes - Part 1

 

The three ladies giggled and blushed nervously as their hair and faces were carefully made up. The department had asked if they would be willing to participate in an interview with the popular morning show host, Lyla Rivers. There was a disastrous fire two weeks ago that caught the country's attention for the loss of firemen's lives and the many others who were injured trying to save them. The press was pressing hard to speak with the families of the lost firefighters or at least the families of the injured. Finally, to relieve the pressure that all the families were receiving from the different agencies, the department had looked to one of the stations that had been hit hardest but whose wives were considered some of the strongest in the service. They were wives of veteran firefighters and had, between the three, been in leadership roles in the Spouse's Support Network consistently during the last ten years. Fast friends because of their husbands' ties first, but secondly and now most importantly, their own personalities and interests, they again stepped up to the plate. Joanne DeSoto, Beth Stoker, and Emily Stanley promised one interview if and only if the press would stop hounding all the families. All the press surprisingly agreed and now the interview was about to take place.

 

"Joanne. Are your kids still at your mom's?" Emily asked the brunette to her left as they watched in the mirror while the preparations continued.

 

"They should be home next weekend. I want them to have a week here before school starts. Beth, are your parents gone now?" Joanne looked in the mirror to Emily's right, noting that all three of them had lost a bit of weight this last month.

 

Beth nodded. "Yeah, I finally felt the boys and I were fine. It was very helpful having them here all this time but I needed to get my house back. Mom was starting to make all my decisions and it was becoming much to easy to let that happen."

 

Both Emily and Joanne nodded, understanding too well how that was. Help and support could too easily become a crutch if it was allowed to. The producer of the show came in then and, thanking the three women again for their participation, took them to the three chairs where they would sit to be interviewed. The friends too immediately noted that with one chair in the back and one to each side just slightly in front, they would be able to maintain physical contact with each other. After the last few weeks, this seemed extremely important to them. "Lyla will come in just before air time. We plan on giving you fifteen minutes but that can be shortened or lengthened. Please just answer as much or as little as you want. We have Kleenex here," he motioned to a box on the small table in between them. Each lady laughed and held up a hand which already had a tissue or two balled up in it. "You ladies are definitely prepared. Lyla will be asking you pretty standard questions, but don't feel pressured to answer any specific way. The department and our station really do want your honest opinions."

 

Each lady looked at each other. Emily then looked at the producer. "That's good because you have three very independent women here with strong opinions. We couldn't hide them even if you or the department wanted us to. This was a horrid time for us and the department and we definitely are too tired to dissemble for anybody else's sakes." The other ladies nodded. The producer smiled and once again congratulated himself on getting this interview approved. These women were just the image that the viewers would love.

 

Lyla sat down and a sound technician was right there checking her mic. She noted that all three women had their mics clipped to their shirts and were all set to go. They appeared slightly nervous but Lyla could tell, from years of interviews, they would be fine on air. She briefly introduced herself and verified each woman's name and the name and title of their spouse. She recognized the names DeSoto and Stanley from various local news bulletins she had seen over the past few years. She knew all three men were highly thought of in the department and all considered tops in their fields. She nodded as the countdown to their segment began.

 

3-2-1 "Today I would like to introduce you to three of the unsung heroes of the LA County Fire Department. Their husbands were some of the men involved in the warehouse fires earlier this month that claimed eight firefighter's lives and injured twenty-two others. On that day, Beth Stoker's husband Mike was the engineer for Station 51. Joanne DeSoto's husband Roy was one of two paramedics from that station, and Emily Stanley's husband Henry, or Hank, was the captain. I again want to thank all three of you for taking time to come and speak to us. I can only imagine how difficult it is for you all."

 

All three nodded. "First, Emily. Your husband Hank, how long has he been captain of Station 51's A shift?" Lyla looked to the slightly more mature woman to set the tone for the other two. She had a feeling that her husband's status as captain also led to her being the one willing to lead the others in this interview.

 

Emily smiled hesitantly, then began with just a hint of a nervous cough. "Hank's been a captain for thirteen years now. This crew has been together for most of that time."

 

"Isn't that unusual for a shift of firefighters? Don't crews normally transfer around?"

 

Emily looked at the two women she considered her closest confidants in life. They nodded, giving her quiet support. "Yes, this shift is somewhat unusual. This group has had a long time together but that day was to have started many changes. The day of the fire was to be Mike Stoker's last day as engineer. He had passed his captaincy test and was to finish his last shift then. Roy DeSoto was going to begin a new position as head of the paramedics for the department within two weeks."

 

Joanne broke in and grinned broadly at her friend, "And don't forget. Hank was to become battalion chief soon also." 51's A Shift was definitely changing.

 

Emily looked proud for her husband's accomplishments, yet had felt hesitant to sound as if she were bragging for him.

 

Lyla smiled and questioned all three, "How did you all feel about the changes?"

 

Joanne nudged Beth, knowing that she might need to be prodded to speak. "Well, I was happy for Mike. And," with a side glance at Emily, "I was also relieved because as captain I felt he would be even safer there than as an engineer." She grimaced slightly as all three realized that hadn't helped Hank.

 

Joanne nodded and agreed. "I knew that Roy's new position would put him behind a desk a good portion of the day. He still planned to ride along with the paramedics and keep his certification, which meant I could still be certain that he would put himself in dangerous situations, but at least it would be less often."

 

Emily spoke up again. "We all have put in years worrying for our husbands. Sometimes firefighters' wives look at husbands' promotions as their reward for being nervous all the time." She smiled and the other ladies lightly laughed. They knew promotions meant more money but the safety issue meant more to them than any other benefit.

 

Lyla's face took a more serious look as she asked her next question. "How hard is that for the spouses? The worrying that is. I mean, you know each day that they will probably have to fight a fire. What does that do to you and your family?"

 

Both Beth and Emily looked over to Joanne. She shrugged as if to say, Sure, my question. "My friends here think I should answer because my husband and his partner have both been injured more often than all of the other shift members totaled together," Joanne replied quietly. "They are rescue personnel. That puts them at a somewhat higher risk. I learned sometime ago that I had to let the worry sit in the back of my mind and not let it consume me. The kids do the same. I used to think that it didn't bother them at all. As they have become teenagers, we have talked to them about it and found out they have their own ways of putting it away." Joanne looked at Emily who grinned remembering conversations she'd had with her daughters at that age. Children of firefighters grew up a little more quickly. "Whenever Roy was hurt, they were troopers. Please understand, they fight as much as most kids do, but if Dad or 'Uncle Johnny' is hurt, they rally together and do everything they can to help me out. They have helped me take care of both of them and pick up most of the household chores now that they are older. I do happen to know that both of them have found other children of firefighters or police officers to talk with, sort of an impromptu support group."

 

"I am surprised that paramedics would be injured more often," Lyla peered at Joanne, somewhat surprised. "I thought that they just treated anyone at the scene who needs treatment? Wouldn't that keep them out of the fire?"

 

Joanne's lips turned up in a small smile. "Yes, I know. But someone has to bring those people out of that fire. They generally need to find those individuals first. And that means going into the burning buildings before the fires are contained. Then sometimes the people can't be moved until they have begun treatment. If there is no one injured then they work the hoses just like the rest of the men."

 

Lyla's next question was almost expected. "How often have your husband and his partner been injured?"

 

Joanne's grin was a little subdued. "That is a tough question. When the guys answer, they only count the hospital visits that lasted longer than two or three days. I used to count all visits. I stopped at fifty. That was a long time ago. My neighbors are great at taking in my kids at a moment's notice. I probably owe more favors than I can ever repay."

 

Beth and Emily both giggled at that and nodded their agreement.

 

Lyla pursued Joanne's response. "Do you go and check on Roy's partner too?"

 

"Oh, yes," Joanne replied. "Johnny's single and my family has adopted him or he adopted us? Not that that makes much difference. He's my husband's best friend and we both care for him." Joanne hesitated, wondering what Roy's reaction to that comment would be. "If the injuries are bad, though, everyone is there."

 

"Meaning all of A shift?"

 

"At the very least, though they are there no matter how bad the injury. It also means the three of us," indicating herself and the other two ladies, "whomever of Marco and Chet's families are in town, and, if the injury is really severe, any other firefighter who can get there. I have to say this, the emergency room staff of Rampart General, the hospital our guys normally go to, have become part of this group also. In fact Dixie makes sure the families of the victims are looked after. We consider her one of us. Drs. Brackett, Early, and Morton have been known to come in from off duty when one of the brotherhood is hurt."

 

Lyla cocked her head at that. "The brotherhood?"

 

Beth stepped in there. "It is amazing. When you marry a fireman, you soon find out about the brotherhood. Any fireman who is injured or in need finds he has hundreds of brothers in the area. If people outside of the area can help, the brotherhood can go statewide or even nationwide. A funeral for a firefighter, as we just witnessed, can have representatives from all over the state. At most of the recent ones we had, there were firemen from neighboring states too. We all make sure the surviving spouse is never in need. We've held blood drives and organ match testing done whenever a firefighter or his family requires it. I know of an old car that a number of firemen have used to temporarily replace cars wrecked in non-work related accidents until a new vehicle is acquired. The actual owner has never taken a cent for the use of it. This type of help occurs all the time and noone questions it." Beth took a deep breath. Joanne and Emily glanced at each other and smiled. They knew Beth hated public speaking but was passionate in her role as the current president of the spouse's support network.

 

Joanne picked up the original topic again. "Most of the hose jockeys and the paramedics work in teams of two. These partnerships often result in very strong friendships. My husband and his partner, and Marco and Chet, have been together for so long, that they have become best friends. The shift is like a family with Cap, Hank, as its head."

 

Lyla questioned again. "Do you three ever feel excluded then? If they are so close, some women might feel jealous."

 

Again all three looked at each other and laughed. Emily took this one. "If anything, we know that they are going to do everything possible to ensure they all come home each night." She reached over and took Joanne and Beth's hands with hers. "And if they are all brothers, we have become sisters. Joanne's kids have toys at my house that have been left there from years ago. Johnny and I are godparents to Joanne's youngest, JD, and both Hank and I are godparents to Beth and Mike's middle boy. Joanne and Roy are godparents to Beth and Mike's youngest. We have spent a number of nights babysitting each other's kids or holding each other's hands. Sometimes," she stopped, her voice trailing off.

 

"Sometimes, what," Lyla pursued this question quietly.