June 27, 2017

Investigators from the Imperial Aviation Authority had been in Ponyville ever since the crash of Imperial Equestrian Airways Flight 822 on the 13th, basing themselves out of the Ponyville County Sheriff's Office Headquarters. Today, they were to hold a press conference alongside American investigators from the FAA.

A reporter from CNN-Equestria asked the first question at a meeting room at the Sheriff's Office. Sitting at the table were representatives from the IAA, the FAA, Imperial Equestrian Airways, and Boeing, as well as Friendship Fire Company Chief Marble Mark and Sheriff Ivory Spirit, a gray earth pony who had previously served as a sheriff's deputy for 30 years, 26 of those years as a deputy-paramedic, before retiring and winning the Sheriff's election in 2014.

The reporter asked the FAA representative, "Will this crash impact air travel in the United States at all?"

"No," the representative quickly replied. "This crash will not affect any aircraft in the US at this moment. So far, we have not identified any mechanical causes of the crash."

A local news reporter then asked the IAA representative, "Have you begun to narrow down your list of causes?"

"We have," the IAS representative replied. "We have eliminated mechanical causes, and we have narrowed it down to pilot error. However, we did find traces of bird remains in the remains of the right engine of the aircraft. Right now, our current theory is that the plane suffered a bird strike, as indicated by tapes given to us by air traffic control, and the pilots misjudged their altitude while focusing too much on the damaged right engine, causing a controlled flight into terrain. Evidence for this can be found in the CVR and FDR transcripts we have just released to the public. At one point, the captain misjudges his altitude by about 150 feet just half a minute before the crash."

Later at day, around 5 in the evening, Applejack and Caramel hung out at the firehouse as they went through and checked out the ambulance. "So, Caramel," she said as she zipped up a jump bag in the back. "When are y'all gonna get your Basic or Intermediate? That's like the next step after ya get Firefighter 1 out of the way."

"I'm gonna be taking my EMR in September this year," Caramel replied as he checked off a box on a sheet. "I wanna see if I can handle being an EMT-Basic or even an Intermediate. If I can't, well, at least I got some medical training, I guess."

"Not a bad idea," the mare replied after she closed a compartment. "So, I've heard from the pipeline some stuff about Lieutenant Meadow Song. Don't tell anyone I told ya this, okay?"

"I won't," Caramel replied as he listened in. "What's up?"

"Apparently, he's not been makin' a lotta calls, and I guess the alleged reason is because he's movin' to Manehattan to be a paid fireman there." Applejack kept her voice down. "If he goes, Emerald Green's movin' up, and they're gonna have to have a new Third Lieutenant and a new Fire Sergeant."

"Any word on who would fill those?"

"They're considerin' me for Fire Sergeant, but they're stuck as to who should be Third Lieutenant. Maybe they could make Daisy Jo a Lieutenant." They both then laughed. "She'd be reluctant to, since she just stopped bein' chief 6 months ago." She then suddenly heard her phone vibrate in her locker. "Hold on." She then opened her locker and answered her phone, saying, "Hello?"

"Hey," Marble Mark replied to her. "I just wanna tell you that after some thought and discussion with the other chiefs, we think it would be best if you become a Fire Sergeant since we're gonna be making Daisy Jo the Third Lieutenant once Meadow Song leaves."

"Huh?" Applejack was in shock. "What?! That's actually happenin'?!"

"Yep," the chief replied. "Meadow Song is leaving on July 20 to move to Manehattan. Upon him leaving, you'll be a Fire Sergeant, and Daisy Jo will be Third Lieutenant. She surprisingly agreed to it."

"I'm surprised she did too," Applejack replied as she rubbed her forehead with one of her hooves. "Well, uh, thank you. I'm glad y'all considered me. Should we meet sometime this week or next week about it?"

"We'll meet on the 30th," Marble Mark replied. "Does 5 P.M. work for you?"

"Yeah," Applejack replied. "It does."

"Alright, I'll see you then. Bye."

Applejack then hung up. "Oh my God... I'm gonna actually be a Fire Sergeant..."

"No way!" Caramel's jaw dropped to the floor. "I guess Meadow Song really is leaving, then, huh?"

July 1, 2017

After a night of "fun" over at Caramel's house in the southern part of the village, Applejack relaxed around 11:22 P.M. As she read a text on her phone, she said to Caramel, "Sex is a lot more fun when you're sober."

"You can say that again," the light brown stallion replied. "Say, uh, Applejack, are you sure you wanted to not use protection this time?"

"My heat cycle isn't until August," Applejack replied. "Since you never had sex before me, I doubt ya carry anythin'. Startin' in August, though, we'll have to."

Then, they both heard their pagers ring. They both got up and put on bags that carried their stuff as they grabbed their pagers and Caramel grabbed a set of keys before they ran out of the room.

“Ponyville County Fire Control for Friendship Fire and Medic Zone 2, you have a Delta-response traffic accident at the intersection of Schoolhouse Road and Pennwood Road involving a vehicle that went into a ditch with possible airbag deployment and entrapment inside. Your time of dispatch is 2324 hours, Dispatcher 49.”

Caramel and Applejack jumped into his car and sped off to the call, with Caramel flipping on his blue lights. As they went down the road to the firehouse, they pulled over for a town police car that also was speeding to the accident. Within four minutes, the two of them pulled into the firehouse and jumped out of the car.

As they ran inside and began to put their gear on, the ambulance left with three people on board. The two of them quickly threw their pants on before grabbing their coats and helmets and running to the back of Rescue 2-31, where they boarded and took 2 of the last 3 seats available. As they put their coats on, the 6th and final firefighter boarded the rescue. Applejack then moved to the front of the walk-in cab and tapped on the window to the two seats up front before saying, “We got 6! Let’s go!”

Annan Machel, who was up front on the rescue, then radioed out, “Rescue 2-31 is en route with 6!” He then turned around and opened the window to the back before saying to Applejack, “Get the assignments for the extrication going, AJ! The car needs the front doors popped open and stabilization!”

“Got it, Cap,” Applejack replied as she took a clipboard from him. “Okay, Caramel, you and me are gon’ grab the cribbin’.”

“No problem,” Caramel replied as Applejack wrote his name and her name down on a paper that detailed work assignments for extrication.

“Billie Mae, EMS Sergeant Rose, y’all are grabbing the cutters and the spreaders. Billie Mae, you handle the cutters, and Marilyn, you get the spreaders. The car needs to get both front doors popped and to get stabilized, so I want Marilyn to start with the passenger’s side front door since the passenger’s got the most serious injuries accordin’ to the chief on scene. I’ll back her up when me and Caramel are done with the cribbin’. Caramel will back up Billie Mae with the cutters if we need to use them at any time.” She then wrote their names down as well as they both nodded. She then handed the clipboard back to Annan through the window as she told him, “We’re all set here!”

“Got it,” Annan replied as the rescue pulled up on scene. “Get to it!” He then radioed, “Fire Control, Rescue 2-31’s arriving.”

As the crew all got out, the crew on the ambulance as well as the county sheriff medic had gotten access to both patients through the rear door on the passenger’s side of the car, which was the only door not stuck. A second ambulance had been requested from Harmony and was about to call en route.

The car was mostly crumpled at the front from impacting a tree after it had gone into the ditch. The driver had hit the airbag at full force and was bleeding profusely from his face. The passenger had the same issue in addition to having both of her hind legs broken by the force of the accident, which made the accident even more so serious. As a result, a medical helicopter was called for the passenger so she could be taken to a Level 1 Trauma Center in Trottingham.

Applejack and Caramel carried down two crates full of wooden cribbing that they began to assemble into pieces before sliding them under the car to ensure the car didn’t move as they began to cut it apart. As they assembled them, the driver suddenly woke up and began screaming in intense pain. Applejack said to the deputy-medic inside, “Do y’all want another Intermediate in there? I can hop in.”

“I think I’ll be good,” the deputy-medic replied. “The driver just woke up.”

“I can tell,” she replied as she completed her cribbing and slid it in just as Engine 2-11 pulled up to the scene. She then motioned for the spreaders to come over to her side.

Caramel then yelled over to Applejack, “The cribbing is all set here!”

“Got it,” Applejack replied as Marilyn came over with the spreaders and gave them a test opening and closing.

“They’re all set to go,” the EMS Sergeant told Applejack as she stood close to the door.

“We’re gonna spread the passenger door,” Applejack told the ambulance crew and the deputy-medic inside. She then picked up a crowbar and whacked the door, putting the business end of it in the gap between the front and back door and making a purchase point by slightly spreading it. “Go for it.”

“No problem,” Marilyn replied as she pushed the tip of the spreaders into the purchase point and began to open up on the spreaders. As the door spread open, the sound of crunching metal emanated throughout the scene. After about two minutes, the door was popped off, allowing Applejack to push it out of the way as a stretcher was wheeled over from Ambulance 2-41.

Big Mac, who had made the engine along with Apple Bloom, pulled the stretcher down with another firefighter as Applejack and Annan carefully moved the passenger to the stretcher with the medic helping them. Marilyn walked over to the other side to begin spreading the driver’s side front door. Big Mac quickly grabbed a set of bandages to help cover up the cuts on the unconscious passenger’s face and wipe the blood off of her as Applejack held the medic’s IV bag. The 5 of them then walked up to the road with the stretcher and to the ambulance, where they would wait for the helicopter to land.

Applejack said to Apple Bloom, who was setting up the landing zone lights, “AB! Sis!”

“What’s up?” Apple Bloom ran over to her to see what her sister needed.

“Get your medical gloves on and start pickin’ up bandages and shit near the car,” Applejack replied as she took her rescue gloves off. “Bring ‘em up to the ambulance so we can dispose of ‘em when you’re done.”

“No problem,” Apple Bloom replied as she took out two rubber medical gloves and put them on her front legs before going bipedal and walking to the accident to ensure she didn’t contaminate her medical gloves with gravel and dirt.

Applejack then said to Big Mac, “This ain’t the worst accident I’ve been to, at least.”

“Far from it for both of us,” he replied. “Faaaar from it.”

Author's Note

CHIEFS OF THE FRIENDSHIP FIRE COMPANY OF PONYVILLE VILLAGE

1947, 1948, 1949, 1950: Pokey Oaks (Earth, M) (CHARTER MEMBER)*

1951, 1952: Silver Craft (Earth, M) (CHARTER MEMBER)* (LODD 1956)

1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957: Sunlit Pyre (Earth, M) (CHARTER MEMBER)

1958, 1959, 1960: Pokey Oaks (Earth, M) (CHARTER MEMBER) (2nd Time)*

1961, 1962, 1963, 1964: Oakey Smoke (Earth, M) (CHARTER MEMBER)*

1965, 1966, 1967: Apple Strudel (Earth, M) (First Non-Charter Member Chief)

1968, 1969: Quick Pace (Earth, M)*

1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976: Darryl Ryder (Equuian Bovine, M) (First Non-Pony Chief)

1977, 1978, 1979, 1980: Quick Pace (Earth, M) (2nd Time)*

1981, 1982, 1983: Belle (Granny) Smith (Earth, F) (First Female Chief)

1984, 1985, 1986, 1987: Ellis Bitter (Earth, M)

1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992: Tied Leaves (Unicorn, M) (First Non-Earth Pony Chief)

1993, 1994, 1995: Belle (Granny) Smith (Earth, F) (2nd Time)

1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001: Lenny Howard (Equusian Bovine, M)

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005: Bright Mac (Earth, M)* (LODD in 2006)

2006, 2007, 2008: Yule Blitz (Pegasus, M)

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012: Mansah Machel (Zebra, M)

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016: Daisy Jo Ryder (Equusian Bovine, F)

2017, Current: Marble Mark (Earth, M)

*=indicates deceased