Responding to a home fire

Another volunteer and I responded to a home fire around lunchtime yesterday, a family of two. It was a large and beautiful home with a numerous firefighers working feverishly to stop the raging fire. They couldn't use a fire hydrant so shipments of water were dumped into what looked like an above ground swimming pool. Pumps at the pool brought water to the hoses the firefighters used about 75 yards away. Never seen that before.

More than one person at the scene commented on how quickly the Red Cross showed up to help. We brought water and snacks for the firefighters and family. It's such an honor to me to be in a position to respresent such a wonderful organization. My heart goes out to the small family and the way they responded to the circumstance. Both were very task oriented as they were busy making numerous cell phone calls to insurance and family. Several friends were present to offer support.

We represented the community and our feeling of kinship to them as they faced the loss of their home. In this case, they did not need emotional support or to talk about what happened. They have friends and each other for that. And their need to express sorrow will probably occur later as the magnitude of what happened sinks in. I'll do a follow-up call tomorrow to make sure their stay at the motel we provided is satisfactory.