在清晨接到据报告的结构大火的电话足以使任何人的血压升高。随着纽约消防局的发展，我看了看计算机生成的票票。我读了三个引擎，两辆卡车和营负责人的任务，以报道的“可能的大火”的地址。当我们进入该位置时，这两个词“可能的火”会改变我的思维方式和规模。当我们开始我们的回应时，调度员的高调声音传达了其他相关信息：“建议我们接到许多电话，我们将救援和小队添加到您的任务中。”
当我们距报道地址约两个街区时，街上的烟雾状况变得非常沉重。在一瞬间，它开始上升，街道几乎清晰。我没有看到任何可见的烟雾，火焰或火上的人们逃脱了我们前方街区的两侧，我要求司机立即放慢脚步。很快，我问他以下一个问题：“您认为其中一家商店里有一场倒塌的大门，我们经过了它吗？”毕竟，跑票确实说了“可能的大火”。就在这时，便携式收音机crack啪作响，声音脱口而出，“看起来好像在左边。”当我们离开设备时，一列烟雾在拐角建筑物和旁边的建筑物上升高，这是报道的地址。就在那时，一个平民抓住了我的掩体外套。她用一个非常兴奋的声音告诉我：“这在我的建筑物中！”当她疯狂地将我拉向那个方向时。
现在我知道你们在想什么:listening to this highly agitated civilian the right thing to do at this moment? I had mixed feelings on the proper direction in which to proceed but succumbed to her pressure and persistence. I radioed to the engine that the fire may be on the side street and not at the reported address. As this woman led us into the building, my gut was still churning from the decision that we follow her. I know from sizing up that the smoke column rising over the rooftops could be from a fire venting out a few windows into the shaft and up and over the roofs, from either building. Then again, it could be a rubbish fire in the alleyway or even a shaft fire, but very soon we all would know. Plus, there have been other instances throughout my career when a “reliable” informant had misguided a company or two.
