Twas the Night Before Christmas at the Fire House

T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the firehouse...
Not a creature was stirring, not even the fire mouse.

The bunkers were hung in the rig compartments with care...
In hopes that in a house fire they soon would be worn there.

The Firefighters were nestled all snug in there racks...
With visions of aid calls, fires and CPR heart attacks.

Captain T in his boxers and a fire Tee shirt he wore...
Lay down for a long winters night and thru the door you could hear him snore.

Then over the intercom there arose such a clatter...
The crews of Engine and Aid 71 awoke to see what was a matter.

I sprang from my rack to the response of the call...
With Scotty, Dave, Paul, and BR chasing me down the hall.

Out the bay doors the rigs flew like a flash ...
With Paul Lyons getting so excited he threw up on the dash.

The opticoms bounced off the snow flakes of the new falling snow...
As Keith drove the engine medium fast not slow

Then what to our wondering eyes should appear...
But a red glow on a two story single family residence in the nights sky and we all yelled with a cheer.

More rapid then eagles the firefighters came...
For we had to move fast before the house ended up in a large ball of red flame.

As engine 71 arrived Captain T yelled for an axe and a TIC...
Then Tom the Battalion Chief got there and yelled out the attack commands so lively and quick.

Now 71 attacks the fire, and 73 be RIT...
76 pull the ceiling and Ladder 74 you guys get to the roof and vent.

To the top of the porch to the fire in the hall now dash away dash away dash away all.

The blower was started and in the front door it's wind like a hurricane blew...
With the guys on ladder 74 climbing the Aerial and to the roof like a cat they flew.

Starting their saws and cutting to the peak with glee...
When astonished they bumped into three reindeer's times two, plus another three.

Meanwhile the guys in the house were soaking the fireplace down...
When Santa made that fateful choice to climb in the chimney and almost drown.

He came out of the hearth soaked and matted from head to foot...
With his clothes washed clean from all the ashes and soot.

His soaked bag of toys lay across his back...
And for a moment it looked like the jolly old boy might be having a heart attack.

Then a piece of wet sheet rock from the ceiling fell with Santa beneath...
And smoke from the fireplace encircled his head, now exposed, like a wreath.

But a wink of his eye and a twist of his head...
Soon gave me to know there was nothing to dread.

Quietly he stood and pointing through the roofs hole...
It was obvious that Rudolf, not a fire, was the source of that red glow.

A few gifts lighter then up the attic ladder Santa arose...
And so Captain T radioed to me to stop the water and start rolling up the hose.

Santa sprang to his sleigh as we all called it a night...
And the red glow was soon lost, in the darkness, to the firefighter’s sight.

But he was heard faintly to say as we were getting ready to leave the scene...
Merry Christmas to all units and to all units’ code green.

Bunkers: Fire clothes
TIC: Thermal imaging camera
Blower: Large Fan
RIT: Rapid entry team
Opticom: Turns trafic lights green
Code Green: return to quarters