July 14, 2009 @ approx 1630

A page comes in for the strike team to activate (strike team activates when another county has a fire and is requesting assistance. We send 1-2 units out of each station so all areas within the county still have units available.). My chief and I are rolling out of our station in a grass rig within a few minutes of the page.

We have our lights and siren going accelerating toward the assembly point for the team. Within the first mile we run across our first obstacle.... 1 eighteen wheeler refusing to yield to us so we can proceed at best possible speed. If only this was the only obstacle we encountered in the 35 mile jaunt to the assembly area. We end up stuck behind the truck for about 1 mile. Woohoo we hit 4 lane highway and are free to run. After a mere 7 miles the highway goes back to 2 lanes where we encounter many a vehicle that block our way and after a quarter to half a mile suddenly realize that there is a fire truck behind them. (If you have an emergency vehicle behind you DO NOT HIT YOUR BRAKES FIRST unless there is no shoulder to pull onto-Thank you) Then into the county seat... where most people kinda understand what to do... like talk on the cell phone and almost wreck into the fire truck (bunch of super observant people here-err maybe not). Finally back on the 4 lane highway, only 10 miles left to assembly area. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3... radio transmision "strike team cancelled"... We go on into the assembly area just to make sure we don't get home and have to come right back.

We arrive at the assembly area and talk with our brother from other stations. After about 15 minutes we head home and call it a day.

We refuel the truck and pull it into the station.

One run across the county... check

Fought fire... not... cancelled en route

back home safe... check

Money earned... $0