Chapter 10 - ANIMAL ADVENTURES

CHAPTER 10

ANIMAL ADVENTURES

LT. MICHAEL SLAY was pulling his shift of duty at No. 2 firehouse on the east end of the city. During the afternoon the company was dispatched to an incident that involved a disturbance in a chimney. When they arrived they discovered a squirrel in the chimney. They knew the chimney is black and sooty. They also realized that if this squirrel is chased out into this house the first place he will head is toward the beautiful white couch just across the room. After much deliberation Lt. Slay radios for the animal control officer to respond. When she arrived they discussed a plan of attack. They planned to use pike poles and canvas salvage covers to create an aisle for the squirrel to travel from the fireplace to the door. After spending much time erecting this elaborate structure, they then ponder if the squirrel, in its excited state of confusion and stress, will not just climb the makeshift travel tunnel and then leap onto the beautiful white couch. Lunch time has long since elapsed and Firefighter Charlie Clark's spinal column has already rubbed blisters on the rear of his stomach wall. He listens to all of this plotting and planning as long as he can stand it. He puts on his thick firefighter gloves and crawls into the fireplace. He then grabs the squirrel and speeds to the door and immediately releases the squirrel. He walks over to the location where the Lt. and the Animal Control Officer are still rubbing their heads wondering how they are going to remove the squirrel without messing up the nice lady's house. Charlie looks at the perplexed duo and says, "Lt. Slay, the squirrel and I talked it over and we decided it would be best for me to escort him outside before we both starved to death."

If you have occasion to visit No. 2 firehouse sometime when LT. GARY DAY is on duty ask him to tell you the story about the lady that contracted him and two other volunteer firefighters from Lake City to rescue her cat from a tall tree limb overhanging Norris Lake. He will not repeat the story if a listener is pregnant or under six years of age. He said the liability is too great.

Speaking of animal stories. We were speaking of animal stories, weren't we? The ORFD frequently responds to alarms reporting smelling a strange odor the caller thinks might be natural gas. These calls usually occur around midnight to three or four a.m. The air is usually heavy and foggy. If you happen to be a naturalist, as are most firefighters, you realize immediately the origin of the odor. Almost always it will be a couple of romantic skunks or one that has been chased into the crawl space under the house by a pet dog. We always advise the occupant to call the animal control officer since this is not our field of expertise.

CHIEF TOM HILL and No. 1 Company once responded to an animal problem that involved a riding horse. The horse had fallen into an empty swimming pool. The pool was too deep for the horse to climb out. Calling upon their vast experience and using the horse sense that only could be displayed by seasoned firefighters, Tom and the Officer decided upon a plan of action. They ordered the firefighters to pyramid bales of hay retrieved from the barn into the shallow end of the pool. They did so and the horse walked out of the pool unharmed.

Recently LT. ROBERT LOGAN and the men from No. 2 Company were called upon to make a daring rescue on Melton Hill Lake. A young boy had fallen through thin ice attempting to rescue his dog. The dog and the lad had broken through the ice and were stuck as they struggled to wade out of the waist deep mud. Using a heavy rope Bob started across the ice. He also fell through the ice into the mud. It took a great effort to pull Bob and the boy and dog out of the icy lake. Fortunately the three only suffered mild hypothermia.

This chapter dedicated to animals could not be complete without telling the story of old CHIEF. A few of the first members of the ORFD were retired from the Knoxville Fire Dept. They brought with them a gift from the KFD to the ORFD. This gift was Chief, a four year old Dalmatian. He was a very intelligent but very temperamental animal.

Chief reported for duty to No. 2 Firehouse and Headquarters in early 1945. He soon learned his way around the station and also learned to visit the Elm Grove and East Village houses with the firemen. As he adjusted to his new surroundings he soon learned to distinguish between the tones of the business and emergency telephones. When the business phone rang Chief would not raise an eyebrow but when the emergency phone sounded he immediately came to attention and watched to see which company began to stir. If both trucks were running Chief would leap on the LaFrance because it was easier to board. If only the Peter Pirsch was moving he would leap onto the running board.

Chief was very temperamental. If one of the men teased him a little too much he would hike to one of two other stations. He transferred from time to time to Elm Grove or East Village. But most of his career was spent at Jackson Square. He had a large ego. He loved the attention children gave him. He also loved to ride the engines in parades.

Some of the firefighters did not care much that Chief answered alarms. Chief rode in the hose compartment. Remember the firefighters rode on the rear tailboard just behind where Chief stood on the hose bed. When Chief became excited as he listened to the siren on the engine he would almost always pass intestinal gas. The men on the tailboard were a captive audience to this unpleasant event.

In 1953 Chief was on duty at No. 4 in East Village. Gamewell Box No. 334 sounded. Chief leaped for the running board of Engine 4. He missed the running board and slipped under the rear wheels of the moving engine. At the advanced age of fourteen years he died in the line of duty. He had served honorably. A monument stands in front of the present No. 2 Firehouse to commemorate the career of Chief.

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