A Little News

Flames billow from a house at 1205 North St. SE in Decatur Sunday night as Decatur Firefigthers prepare to attack. The house was heavily damaged by the fire but firefighters did not think anyone was home. Photo by Gary Cosby Jr. 1/11/09

Seems like a no brainer doesn’t it?  Yet, this is exactly what almost happened to me Sunday night and this one really is one of those things they never teach you in school.  I was covering a fully involved house fire Sunday night and I very nearly stepped on the power service which had been snapped by the fire and was laying in the street.  Now, I am an old firefighter and whenever I have ever approached a fully involved structure fire as either a fireman or a photographer I have always located the power service.  Early in any fire this will still be “hot” and able to kill you quickly.

This time I didn’t look.  I was trying to hurry and get a photo because the Decatur Fire and Rescue is good and a fully involved house fire thirty seconds before I pulled up was now rapidly becoming a steaming, black pit on a very dark section of street.  My Dad used to say that God protects fools and firefighters.  It was a good thing Sunday night or I would  have stood a good chance of joining the heavenly choir in the role of fool.  I was hurrying along trying to find a better shooting angle before the flames were completely gone when I just happened to look down in mid-stride.  My foot was just about to land on the power service.  Thank God I was able to pull my foot back and move away.

Moments later, the end of the power line crackled in a huge ball sparks beside the house and I saw a firefighter go down.  I was afraid the line had gotten him.  Fortunately he was not injured and must have only been startled or something like that because he got right up.  There are many dangers out there on assignment.  Some you see, those you can usually avoid, some you don’t see, those are the dangerous ones, and some you are ignorant of and those too can get you.  Don’t get so caught up in getting that picture that you ignore the dangers of the assignment.

Over the years I have been through many things that made me grateful for my fire and EMS background.  I have been able to avoid some trouble because of it.  You may not have that background and people may not tell you about them.  Keep any eye on your surroundings and stay alive.  You may not even have to touch the danger to get whacked.  Had that power service been draped over the chain link fence surrounding the property it would have been electrified and touching it would be equally deadly.  There is just not a single photo I have ever seen that I wanted to die for.  The power service didn’t care that I am married and have eight kids to take care of.  It didn’t care that I have goals and ambitions.  Had I touched it all that would have gone away in a split second.  Like the sergeant on Hill Street Blues used to say, “Let’s be careful out there!”

Photo copyright Gary Cosby Jr., The Decatur Daily.  The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.