I Got Your Back - Tales from Bark Mountain

In Bark Mountain

When the call comes in, the crew moves fast, lights flashing, hearts steady as they respond to a serious car crash. 

A woman is trapped, injured, and time is running out. Working together, they lift her free.

But in that moment, something goes wrong.

In this episode Firefighter Woz feels it and firefighter Jake sees it.

Because on this crew, you don’t just watch each other, sometimes you carry each other.

Two ambulances leave the scene that day.

One for and injured patient, and one for one of their own.

Music from Bensound.com

License code: JOMKAMTPZ2OJIAIF

Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

Check out goosethefiredog.com for pictures and more stories 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Welcome to another tale from Bark Mountain. The evening sun stretched across the peaks of Bark Mountain, casting a warm glow over the fire hall as it started to set. Inside, the crew moved through their quiet bedtime routine. Goose the Fire Dog trotted from room to room, his tail wagging like a flag in the wind as he checked in on everyone, just like he always did before settling into his bed, overlooking the fire trucks. As he passed Firefighter Waz's room, Waz smiled and knelt down, scratching Goose behind the ears. Ready for a quiet night, buddy? Goose barked once and gave him a big lick across the cheek. Waz laughed. The alarm rang and shattered the moment. Motor vehicle accident, possible injuries. Fire Chie Steve stepped out of his office, calm and steady. All right, teen, let's move. In seconds, everything changed. Helmets on, jackets zip, doors open, trucks started, and then sirens roared as the trucks raced down the winding mountain road. Around a sharp bend they saw it. A small car had slid off the road and come to rest against a tree, but the front end was crushed. Smoke curled into the cold air. Waz was first out of the truck and headed straight towards the car. Inside sat a woman, trapped, shaking and scared. We're here, Waz said gently, kneeling beside her. You're gonna be okay. We got you. Goose stayed close to Waz, watching intently. Behind them, the firefighters moved with a rhythm they knew by heart. Forrest and Red stabilized the vehicle. Izzy grabbed the medical kit. Dazzle and Tom had all the tools ready to remove the doors with the jaws of life. Jake stood in the background by Fire Chief Steve. Everything worked well. The door was removed with the jaws of life, and each firefighter took a position around the lady to lift her out of the car. All right, Waz said softly, on my count, slow and steady. The woman trembled. You're doing amazing, Waz reassured her. You're not alone. We got you. Then they lifted. A sharp burning pain shot through Waz's lower back. He froze just for a second. It felt like a fire running through his spine. He clenched his jaw. It hurt a lot, but he didn't stop. Keep going, he said to the crew through gritted teeth. On my count. One, two, three. The team lifted her, but Jake saw it. The tension, the hesitation, the pain Waz was trying to hide, and in that moment Jake walked up and stepped in. Without a word, he moved in behind Waz, bracing him and taking some of that weight. I got you, Jake said quietly. Waz didn't turn. He didn't need to. He felt it. The support, the strength, and the team behind him. Together, Waz said, they lifted again stronger this time, careful, controlled, and united. When the woman was placed safely on the backboard, and only then did Waz let go. He dropped to one knee, grabbing his back as the pain surged. Waz Izzy rushed in. Jake stayed right beside him, steady as ever, holding on to his jacket to support him. I've got you, he said again, and this time Waz relaxed a bit and let himself lean in to Jake's support. Minutes later, two ambulances made their way down the mountain. One carried the woman from the car, and the other carried firefighter Waz. Inside, Goose rested his head gently on Waz's lap. Waz stared out the window. I didn't want to let her down, he said. As Fire Chief Steve sat across from Waz in the ambulance, he said And you didn't But you showed something just as important. Waz looked over. What's that? That even the strongest people need help sometimes. You did your job and you let people help you. When they arrived at the hospital, Waz was wheeled down the hallway. The woman that he had helped out of the car passed by. She reached out and took his hand. Thank you, she said softly. You didn't give up on me, even though you were hurting. Waz smiled. You didn't give up either. We make a good team, he said. The woman smiled as she let go of his hand and they wheeled her down the hallway. A short time later, the crew gathered in the emergency room. The chief rested his hands on Waz's shoulder. We've got things covered back at the fire hole, he said. You focus on getting better. Even though Waz was in pain, he nodded and tried to force a smile. He watched his crew climb back into their trucks, the engine rumble, the headlights come on, and one by one they pulled away. For the first time in a long time, Waz wasn't going with them, but he wasn't alone. He looked down and laying right beside him was Goose, steady and close. Later that night, the fire hall sat quietly under a sky full of stars. The trucks rested perfectly in their base. The lights were low, and as the firefighters drifted off to sleep, they knew this to be true. When things get heavy, if you can find the courage to let others step in and stand beside you, that won't be the moment when you fall apart. That will be the moment when you finally understand what it truly means to be strong.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

Thank you for listening. Please check out goostofiredog.com for more stories and pictures. Every Sunday the crew gathers around for another tale from Mark Mountain. Please join us. Good morning, good day, good night, little firefighters everywhere.