The MRI Machine - Tales from Bark Mountain

As the morning sun rose over Bark Mountain, the halls of Bark Mountain Hospital seemed calm and quiet. Nurses helped patients, doctors moved quickly between rooms, and visitors whispered softly near the front desk. But deep below the hospital, something suddenly went terribly wrong. Warning alarms echoed through the building as red emergency lights flashed near the MRI room. Within moments, Engine 11, Rescue 11, and Chief 1 were racing toward the hospital. But this emergency would be different from any call Jake or Goose had ever seen before.

Because sometimes the most dangerous emergencies are the ones firefighters can’t simply rush into.

This Tales from Bark Mountain episode was created and narrated by Steve Serbic

Music from Bensound.com

License code: JOMKAMTPZ2OJIAIF

Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

Check out goosethefiredog.com for pictures and more stories 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Welcome to another tale from Bark Mountain. The morning sun was shining over the Bark Mountain Hospital. As nurses hurried through the hallways and visitors spoke quietly near the front desk. Inside the emergency department everything seemed calm until suddenly alarms started to ring throughout the hospital. Red lights were flashing down one hallway deep in the basement. Hasmat alarm in the MRI room, a voice calmly said over the hospital speakers. And moments later, the tones in the fire hall at the Bark Mountain Fire Department started to sound. Engine eleven, rescue eleven, Chief one, respond to the Bark Mountain Hospital for a hazardous materials call. Fire Chief Steve looked up from the kitchen table. Alright, crew, let's move. Goose barked excitedly as the firefighters climbed aboard their fire trucks. Red and Jake put on their air packs. Forrest grabbed the gas monitor and clipped it to his jacket. Izzy opened the hospital response binder so she could read it over as they responded. Within minutes sirens echoed through Bark Mountain as the trucks raced towards the hospital. When they arrived, several worried hospital workers met them outside. The alarms are coming from the MRI room, one of them said nervously. We think the machine is leaking. Chief Steve nodded seriously. Okay, Rywan, he said to his firefighters, remember your training. Let's slow down. As Goose tilted his head curiously, Jake asked Red, What's dangerous about an MRI machine? Helium, Red responded. You know the gas they put inside those birthday balloons that makes them float? Goose's ears perked up. The MRI machine uses the same kind of gas, helium, Red explained. But inside the machine it's super cool to help keep the giant magnet spinning properly. And that giant magnet, when it spins, it takes pictures of people's bones and muscles for the doctors to read, so that they can diagnose what's wrong. Jake nodded his head. As the crew walked through the hospital, down the stairs, they reached the hallway near the MRI room. Chief Steve held up his hand. Everyone stopped. No one goes inside yet, he said. Goose looked confused. But firefighters always go inside, Jake stated. Not this time, Izzy said softly. MRI rooms are different. She pointed towards the large warning sign besides the door. MRI machines have gigantic magnets inside them, they're very powerful. How powerful? Jake asked. Tom whispered beside him. So powerful he explained that if we walked in there wearing our air packs or carrying metal tools, the giant magnet would pull them across the room and right into the machine. Jake's eyes grew wide. The air packs are attached to our backs, so would that mean it would pull us into the machine too? Chief Steve nodded. Every firefighter has to stop and think carefully at calls like this, he said. That's why our training matters so much, Jake. Inside this MR room, there is a machine in there that we need to understand what is wrong and what is happening before we can enter the room. Outside in the hallway they could hear a s. Forrest was already checking the air with his monitor. The oxygen levels are quite low, he reported. Chief Steve responded with that's because the healing is pushing the oxygen out of the room. Chief Steve looked at Jake. You see, Jake, we need oxygen to breathe. That's why firefighters put on their air packs. But because there's a big magnet in this machine, we can't go inside the room with our air packs on. And if the helium fills the air of the room, then no one can walk in without an air pack. Suddenly a nervous hospital worker ran down the hallway. We believe there might be a cleaner inside the MRI room. The crew looked at one another immediately. Chief Steve calmly said, Okay, thank you for that information. He looked at his crew. Okay, now we're gonna rely on our training. Slow and smooth. Dazzle had already called the hospital MRI specialist, who was talking to her on the phone, and they had just confirmed they had safely shut down the part of the system that releases the helium. Fire Chief Steve looked at Jake and Red and said, We're gonna wait till the gas meter tells us it's safe to go in there, and then we're gonna search the room. They waited about three minutes, and Forrest stated that the oxygen level was now high enough for them to walk in the room. Chief Steve looked at Jake and Red and said, Okay, it's safe to enter. No metal tools, no metal tanks, make sure you have nothing magnetic on. Goost watched carefully as the firefighters checked each other one more time before entering. Training keeps us safe, Izzy reminded Jake. And teamwork, Red added. The door slowly opened. As they walked in there was not a cleaner in the MRI room. They had left out the back door when they heard the hissing. The helium was now shut off, but a little bit of air was still leaking from the machine. Fire Chief Steve sent Red Dazzle and Izzy to look for the lost cleaner. They found that person outside the hospital a few minutes later. Chief Steve radioed dispatch that the situation was now under control, and that the hospital staff could now resume their regular duties. Several nurses and doctors came over to the firefighters to thank them. You sure stayed calm, one of the nurses said. Chief Steve smiled gently. That's why we practice, he replied. Every call teaches us something new, he said. The crew double checked everything on the machine and made sure it was completely shut off. They left it in the hands of the MRI technician. As they packed up their trucks outside, Goose sat beside Chief Steve near Engine eleven. I didn't know firefighters needed so much training, Jake said thoughtfully. Chief Steve looked at him and smiled. Being a firefighter isn't about rushing in, Jake. Sometimes you need to do the opposite, which means slowing down, and making smart choices to protect everyone, including the firefighters. As the last few things were getting put back on the fire truck, Goose looked back at the hospital where the alarms had once rang. He learned something too. The firefighters don't always use giant hoses, and they don't always fight flames. And Jake learned something as well. He learned that every firefighter carries more than helmets and boots, they carry knowledge, because sometimes the most important tool a firefighter has is what they have learned before the emergency ever began. And at the Bark Mountain Fire Department, they knew this to be true. The reasons firefighters train, learn, and watch out for one another every single day is so that they can bring calm to the chaos, hope to the fear, and help people during the moments they need it most, while making certain every firefighter returns safely to the people who love them waiting at home. And behind every act of courage is one simple promise. The greatest rescue of all is getting everyone home together.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

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.