Firemen

You just got pulled out of a burning building.  Your Fireman and Rescuer tell you that He would like you to help pull others out of the fire.  Of course you agree.  He gives you equipment to keep you safe and the instructions to use it as well a demonstration on how it is used.  Among the pieces of equipment is a radio so that you can talk with Him whenever you like.

A large part of you equipment is for healing.  With this you can comfort any and all those who will accept it.  Regardless of whether they follow you out or not.  You are told to give aid to all that request it, as you were aided yourself.  You will find out that this is not as easy as it sounds.

He tells you the proper rescue techniques, what you can and cannot do, warnings about dangers and the like, as well a big warning that there are fake firemen in there also.  He gives you a map showing the route to the only way out.  He tells you that as long as someone is on the route he will be safe.  Not comfortable maybe, but safe.  As you search the building you come across different types of people inside.

There is a large number of people who do not believe that the building is even on fire!  They say, Why are wearing all that  Most of those tell you that there is no fire here so why should they leave?  You tell them that even though the fire is not there yet, it is coming.  You get laughed at, scorned, even attacked.  You are told to mind your own business and to go away.  So, you leave them radios so that they can call for help warning them that it will be harder to escape later.  A small number comes with you.

Image by u07ch via Flickr

This…group has a number of opinions as to the way out.  Some want to one way some another.  Some say that the fire is not over this way so let us go there.  You keep on telling them that there is only one way out.  You then come to a section that is on fire and tell them that they have to go through it.  You point out the sprinkler system that will keep them safe some go through, most do not.  There are also sections that look blocked off next to apparently clear sections.  The map says to go through the hard sections and ignore the clear ones as the clear ones do not lead to safety.  Some people are very hard to convince.

Among the hardest people to convince are those that know the buiding is on fire, but they are in a room where they can see the outside, but can not get to it.  They think that if they just keep trying they will eventually break through the glass on their own.  They largely ignore you.

Along the way, you find a number of those fake “firemen.” A lot of these firemen “look” like real firemen but they do not lead people to safety.  Some who lead people into differant kinds of rooms. Once inside, they are trapped.   None of the rooms can be opened from the inside.  The must be opened from the outside.  Some rooms are not on fire, but some are.  Most do not realize that they will be trapped… until it is too late.  Another thing that the fake firemen do is use ways that seem to put out the fire, and it may, but what they use releases toxins in the air effecting everyone who breathes it.

Another problem are firemen who are trying but are not using their equipmet properly.  They  have not read or have misread the instructions.  They try to carry water in their boots leaving their feet unprotected, use the oxygen for cooling, or even take off some equipment because it is too uncomfortable.  Some have misread their maps and take more dangerous ways out that look safer, but are not.

And you have your problems also.  You cannot always read the map correctly  You have to keep refering to the instructions continually to make sure that you are using the eqipment properly, constantly calling the Chief Fireman for clarification, trying differnt ways to use your equipment, always trying the best way.  Some work some do not.  The problem is that it is hard to tell people the correct way once they see that you made mistakes.  And some of those mistakes were from delibertly not following the instructions.  They say, you did, it why should we listen to you now?  You find that the best, though by no means 100% effective, is to tell them what you did and why admitting your errors, to those involved as well as to the Chief Fireman.

But every now and then you get to lead a person to safety.  To the Chief Fireman.