July 4, 2017

The fire company held its monthly meeting today. For the dayside crew, the meeting began at 9 AM and ended at around 11 AM or 12 AM, while for the nightside crew, it began at 6:30 PM and ended at 8:30 PM or 9:30 PM. Usually, Applejack would attend the night meetings and night drills, but she began to attend day meetings and day drills with Caramel, starting with today.

"Alright," said company president and Fire Police Captain Ellis Bitter as she filed some papers into an envelope. "I would like to call this meeting to order at exactly 0900 hours on July 4, 2017, or Month 6, Day 22 of Year 2502 in the Traditional Equestrian Calendar. First on the agenda is an important topic that 2nd Assistant Chief Rhodes has a report on. Mary Jane, proceed."

"Thank you," she said as she read off of a paper. "We are now speccing out a new engine, as Engine 2-11 is almost 26 years old. It have served us well, but it is time that a new piece of apparatus is purchased to replace this venerable truck. A committee which had been set up at the last month's meeting has agreed to the following: The new engine will have a 2000-gallon-per-minute pump like ETA 2-12, have the same water and foam tank dimensions as the current engine, and have the same number of seats as the current engine."

Then, they got interrupted by a call. Applejack asked, "What is it?" As she did, the firehouse siren went off.

Ellis listened in on her pager. After a few seconds, she said, "EMS call!" Several volunteers then got up and left to get on the ambulance. As they did, they waited for the dispatch to end, and then started up again.

As the meeting started up again once the siren began to wind down, Applejack looked at her phone and noticed a text from Fluttershy. It read out, "I need some advice. Call me when you can."

"You want to become a firefighter?" Applejack was confused as to why as she met with Fluttershy around 1 at the county hospital.

"I do," she replied. "I'm being discharged tomorrow, and soon after I am, I'm going down to the Everfree firehouse and applying. What's the process?"

"Well," the blonde pony replied. "I'm not a member of Everfree, but if they're like us, you could find their website and print out an application there, or stop by whenever they have a meeting or another event at the firehouse. When you're done with the application, you'd drop it off in their mailbox, and then they'd contact ya. All applications are voted on by the company, and odds are, you'll be voted in. They'll run a background check on ya an everything, and you'll have to pay membership dues. Our's are like 60 bits ($15) per year, and I can't imagine Everfree is any different."

"I see," Fluttershy replied as she thought to herself. "How is Everfree Fire?"

"Well," Applejack replied as she gave a concerned look. "They're the smallest department in the town with only 20 volunteers. Some of their guys got a reputation for bein' "whackers," or ponies who're way too into the fire service. I'm not sayin' you shouldn't join, but just be aware that you may run into some... Interestin' characters there. They won't mistreat ya, but they may be a bit... Well... Hyperactive."

Fluttershy was confused. "Whackers?"

"They're nicknamed that 'cause it's joked they jack off to firefightin' and EMS," Applejack explained to her. "They probably don't, but the way some of them act, y'all'd think they do. Again, not everybody in Everfree is a whacker, alright? Don't let it discourage you from servin' your community, Fluttershy."

"I won't," Fluttershy replied, confident. "I wouldn't let those... Whackers... ruin it."

July 8, 2017

That Saturday, Fluttershy walked down to the Everfree firehouse. Her own house was being renovated due to damage from the fire, and Discord had pitched in much-needed help. As she walked up, she noticed a car in the parking lot and two bicycles in a bike rack, indicating there were firefighters there. An early 20s looking firefighter with a dark brown mane and light blue hair, wearing a baseball cap with a Maltese Cross and "EVERFREE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY" on it, noticed her and said to her, "Hi there!"

"Hey," Fluttershy nervously replied. "I... I don't know if you recognize me, but you helped rescue me."

The firefighter then remembered. "No way... You were that last house fire we had in-district right? I am so sorry for what happened to your house and animals."

"Thank you," the yellow-haired mare replied. "We're actually almost there for rebuilding. Anyway, I was thinking... Do you have applications to join?"

The firefighter was surprised. "Huh? Wait, really?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I want to help others in their time of need, like you did for me." She then stood firm, a wave of confidence blowing over her. "It's the least I can do for the ponies that saved my life."

"I understand completely," he replied. "My name is Bluegrass Hazel, by the way. I'm a Lieutenant. I've been in Everfree for about 8 years now, since I was 14. I'll run in and get your application." He then walked into the station. "You can come in if you want. We don't bite."

As Fluttershy followed him in, she saw that the station was old in its appearance. It had four apparatus bays and held an engine, a tanker, brush rig, and a brush breaker, all of which were older in comparison to Friendship's fire apparatus. In the back were about 30 gear lockers, of which only 20 had gear. Bluegrass Hazel grabbed a three-page application packet from a folder on the wall and handed it to Fluttershy. "Thank you," she timidly replied.

"No problem," he replied. "What will happen now is that we'll call you to come in on the next company meeting. There, you'll meet the fire company at large and introduce yourself. From there, we'll do a background check, and then we'll vote on you for the next company meeting. The next one after that, if you get in, we'll invite you and swear you in as a firefighter. Our next meeting is July 10. We hold meetings on the second Monday, and training drills on the first, third, and fourth Monday's. Are you available for the day meeting or night meeting?"

"Either or," Fluttershy replied. "Though night is preferable."

"That's fine," he replied as Fluttershy grabbed a pen and began filling the application out. "Assuming everything goes right, you'll be sworn in in the September meeting."

On the same day, Caramel walked out of a gym at the Ponyville High School, confident in himself. He had just taken a civil service exam to be a dispatcher with the Ponyville County Sheriff's Office. As he walked out, he was met by Applejack, who smiled and asked him, "So, how do ya think ya did?"

"Very well," he replied. "Of course, I won't know until the results come out, but I feel like I did very well." He then got into the Apple family pickup with her. "I was apparently one of only about 5 to even take the test."

"That sounds about right," Applejack replied as she started up the pickup. "They don't hire too often. They only got about 20 dispatchers." As they began to drive away, she looked over at him and smiled. "Now, what do y'all wanna d-?"

Suddenly, the sound of their pagers interrupted them. Caramel replied to it, "Oh, fuck me. Of course."

"Ponyville County Fire Control to Camp Fowler Fire, Camp Fowler Ambulance, Winsome Falls Fire for an engine, Winsome Falls Rescue, Blacksmith Road for a tanker, Friendship #2 for the FAST team, Medic Zone 3, you have a Delta response to the High Pond Mobile Home Park at 4870 Fowler Road for a reported structure fire in Lot 12 involving a kitchen fire in a trailer. Residents have advised that they are out of the trailer at this time. Time is 1147 hours, Dispatcher 34."

"Might as well go," Applejack told him as she turned on the blue lights on the pickup and sped off to the firehouse as the siren blew. As they sped down Schoolhouse Road, they saw several volunteers that lived in the village begin to get in their own vehicles or run to the firehouse down the road, just outside the village line. They then heard a vehicle siren behind them. "Is it a chief?"

"Yeah," Caramel replied as he turned around and saw Car 2-13 approach from behind. As Applejack pulled over for him, he sped off to the firehouse, planning to board the rescue. Within three and a half, they pulled into the station and ran in just as Rescue 2-31 was started up by a driver.

Caramel was not yet RIT-trained, so he stayed back as Applejack hurriedly threw her gear on. When she was done, she ran to the back of the rescue and boarded from the rear doors, becoming the last firefighter to get on before it left. As she closed the rear doors, it sped out of the station with 6, 5 FAST, lights flashing and sirens roaring as it sped to the fire. As it did, they heard more tones play out over the radio, indicating it was a working trailer fire just as Friendship was re-toned.

"Caramel," a firefighter called out. "Get yer gear on and hop in the ambulance! It's a 10-75!" The siren on top of the firehouse roared to life once more.

"On it," Caramel replied as he ran to his gear locker and began putting his gear on as several more firefighters ran in. When he was finished, he ran to the back of the ambulance and opened the rear doors, jumping in with an EMS-only member dressed in a green reflective jacket as they closed them. Once everyone was seated, the ambulance sped off with 4. It would serve as the FAST ambulance, dedicated only to treating injured firefighters. "Lieutenant Wonder, where do you want the stretcher pulled?"

"Park it in front of the ambulance," Chelmsford Wonder, the Rescue Squad Lieutenant sitting in the back with him, replied as she got rubber medical gloves on. "Load up the RIT medical bag and the ILS bag on it. Also, since you're interior, grab an air pack just in case."

"On it," he replied.

Author's Note

FRIENDSHIP FIRE COMPANY #2 APPARATUS:
Engine 2-11: 1992 Pierce Lance 1500 GPM/750 GW/35 GF
Engine-Tanker 2-12: 2015 Pierce Impel 2000 GPM/4000 GW/35 GF
Engine-Squirt 2-13: 1999 Pierce Saber 1500 GPM/500 GW/35 GF/65' RMA Telesquirt
Rescue 2-31: 2008 International/E-One Heavy Walk-In
Ambulance 2-41: 2016 Ford/Wheeled Coach Intermediate Life Support
Brush 2-51: 1998 Freightliner/HME 500 GPM/300 GW/35 GF 4x4 Midi Pumper

RUN ORDER:
Fires (In Village): ES 2-13, R 2-31, E 2-11, ETA 2-12, B 2-51 (A 2-41 to roll with EMS-only volunteers whenever crew assembled) (1st Unit Hot, all others Cold if Fire Alarm Activation)
Fires (Out of Village): ETA 2-12, R 2-31, ES 2-13, E 2-11, B 2-51 (A 2-41 to roll with EMS-only volunteers whenever crew assembled) (1st Unit Hot, all others Cold if Fire Alarm Activation)
Fires (Mutual Aid to Everfree): ETA 2-12, A 2-41 (1st Unit Hot, 2nd Unit Cold if Fire Alarm Activation)
Fires (RIT): R 2-31, A 2-41 (Minimum of 4 RIT-trained Personnel Required on R 2-31) (A 2-41 only on 10-75s)
Fires (Mutual Aid for Engine): E 2-11 (Any FD that already has a ladder truck) or ES 2-13 (Elsewhere) (Cold if Alarm Activation)
Fires (Mutual Aid for Tanker): ETA 2-12 (Cold if Alarm Activation)
EMS: A 2-41, R 2-31 if Ambulance is OOS or Extra Manpower Needed (Cold for Alphas, Hot for Bravos and Above, R 2-31 to Roll Automatically as Second-Due for Echos) (Minimum of 1 EMT-B and 1 Driver Required, 1 EMT-I and 1 Driver Preferred)
MVAs: R 2-31, A 2-41, E 2-11, B 2-51
MVAs with Fire: ETA 2-12, A 2-41, R 2-31, E 2-11, ES 2-13, B 2-51
MVAs with No Injuries but Fuel Spill/Other Hazard: R 2-31, E 2-11, B 2-51
Vehicle Fires: E 2-11, ETA 2-12, A 2-41
Brush Fires: B 2-51, ETA 2-12, E 2-11 (A 2-41 to roll with EMS-only volunteers whenever crew assembled)
Carbon Monoxide: R 2-31, A 2-41, E 2-11 (Cold if Residential with no Illness, Hot if Commercial/Industrial or Residential with Illness)
EMS Mutual Aid: A 2-41 (Hot on All due to Distance), R 2-31 if more EMS Personnel Needed (Minimum of 1 EMT-B and 1 Driver Required, 1 EMT-I and 1 Driver Preferred)
Rope Rescue: R 2-31, A 2-41, B 2-51 (R 2-31 only if Mutual Aid unless Extra Ambulance Needed)
Building Collapse/Hazardous Conditions: R 2-31, A 2-41, E 2-11 (R 2-31 only if Mutual Aid unless Extra Ambulance Needed)
Water Pumpout: R 2-31, B 2-51 (All Units Cold unless Electrical Hazard is Present, then R 2-31 Hot and B 2-51 Cold)
Hazardous Materials: R 2-31, B 2-51, A 2-41, E 2-11 (R 2-31 only if Mutual Aid unless Extra Ambulance Needed)
Other Technical Rescues: R 2-31, A 2-41, E 2-11, B 2-51 (R 2-31 only if Mutual Aid unless Extra Ambulance Needed)
Wires/Trees: E 2-11, B 2-51
Train Fires: ETA 2-12, R 2-31, ES 2-13, E 2-11, B 2-51 (A 2-41 to roll with EMS-only volunteers whenever crew assembled)
Plane Down: ETA 2-12, R 2-31, ES 2-13, E 2-11, B 2-51 (A 2-41 to roll with EMS-only volunteers whenever crew assembled)
Train Accident: R 2-31, A 2-41, ES 2-13, E 2-11, ETA 2-12, B 2-51
Single-Engine Response (In Village): ES 2-13
Single-Engine Response (Out of Village): ETA 2-12