Firefighting Angels
How 2 Firefighters Died in a Blaze They Were Ill-Equipped to Face
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/06/nyregion/newark-ship-firefirefighters-new-jersey.html
Architect, New York
If you see a squad of veteran firefighters in full gear up close, ready to fight their enemy, not joking at the firehouse, you'll see men and women unsmiling, looking ready for the worst, faces scared and burned, holding heavy tools like weapons, otherworldly thinking of what lies ahead, what has happened in the past, lives saved and lost.
You think, if like me, these are the bravest I've seen outside the military where the same demeanor, stance, expectation, memories haunt the vets, distancing them from the newbies looking scared, twitchy, pleading.
In the midst of blaze, you may imagine being approached in the smoke and heat by one of these guardian angels, walking or crawling your way, "anybody here, give us a shout."
"Over here," you'd cry, gasping for air. A gloved hand reaches for yours like God touching Adam, you can only weep with relief at your lover's rescue.
Go by the local firehouse, if the guys are out front, ask to shake a hand.