[i]"SQUAD 3, FORM UP HERE!!!", Scott bellowed as he finished snapping his coat as the trucks pulled up and the crews hopped out.[/i]. Sean heard an unfamiliar voice shouting orders towards his men shortly after they got out of their truck. Sean turned his head towards Scott and realized this must be the new Squad Lt. Chief had briefed them about a week earlier. It was a strange and unconventional way for him to meet his team but it would be a good test to see what kind of Lt. Scott really was. Sean wasted no time in jogging over to him. Before Alex could move with her team Scott came to her in a quick introduction. Chief had briefed everyone on the new Lt. and his arrival and she shook his hand quickly in greeting. Alex quickly began to work with the new Lieutenant. "Charlie!" She called to one of her firemen at the truck. "Pull the truck closer and lay the ladder out towards the balcony for Lt. McKenna. Follow his direction, we're going in!" She gave Scott a brief thumbs up to ensure he would have her teams support. Her team listened to her and she didn't see why they wouldn't listen to him as well, especially during moments like these when team work was critical and egos should be left at the window. The only one Alex was concerned about was Elise. Elise wasn't insubordinate but she was sharp and independent and didn't like to take direction from anyone besides Alex, who gave her a lot of free reign. She was one of her best firemen and she knew she didn't need a tight leash on her. Try and maneuver Elise too much and she fights back. Hopefully Scott wouldn't experience that today. --------------------------------------- Sean had gathered the supplies Scott listed and watched as Charlie maneuvered the truck close to the building then began extending the giant ladder upwards. Charlie was able to finish the ladder right under the balcony, giving Sean enough room to work and give some support for the mom. He needed to calm her down as she was beginning to shout frantically, her grip continuing to slip. Sean raced past Gabrielle as he went towards the ladder and quickly diverted to the side to rush up to her, pausing to clap his hand on her shoulder. "Help calm the mom down. You're the best at that." he said with sincerity. She had a skilled and honest way of helping even the most frightened victim to calm down and feel reassured that the team was going to do their job and get them to safety. Sean gave her a smile before running back to the truck and jumping up on the ladder and beginning to scale upwards towards the boy. --------------------------------- Alex was in the building with her team, having scaled the flights of stairs up to the third floor. They would ensure no one was left behind before allowing the hose to work it's magic. Alex turned to Astrid, who seemed the most uneasy and rightfully so being the most inexperienced. Alex nodded to her "You're doing great. Just stay focused, control your breathing, and keeping moving." She was new but she had great training and was skilled; she simply lacked confidence especially in live action. Alex then turned and broke away from her team. If everyone came it would include Elise and Astrid at her side and the rest on the other side of the building. One of the firemen radioed in to the Chief "North side cleared Chief." This left Alex's side to be finished cleared before the Chief could make his next move. Alex's side of the building was covered more in flames, the smoke billowing across the halls, the heat pulsating around them. Alex moved towards the last two apartments in the hall. She kicked down one door and crouched through, yelling "Fire Department! Call out!" She looked thoroughly and desperately for anyone in need of help. Once the Chief reeled them back in there was no going back. [i] "Denney, I need you and your personnel out of there as fast as possible, getting the pumper ready for use" the Chief radioed.[/i] Alex heard the Chief on her radio and clicked her radio button to respond. "Copy that Chief, almost done. Give me 5 more minutes." Alex turned to her team "Guys we gotta move! See anything??" If Elise was hot on her heels, she would be their best bet to find anyone before they needed to retract, if there was anyone to find. She had eyes like a hawk and a solid gut instinct that has led them to many successful extractions before. ------------------------ Sean reached the top of the ladder, hoping to see Scott enter from the back soon. The mom only became more frantic when seeing Sean. Sean raised his hands and tried calming her down, wishing Gabrielle was up here with him. "Ma'am, calm down, We're going to help him, it will be ok. Just listen to us ok?" He placed his hands up to the gate and pressed forward, alleviating the strain that was making the mom lose her grip. The gate wobbled unsteadily in Sean's hands. He grit his teeth, the unsteady feeling causing him to fear the gate would give way any moment now. He couldn't bank on him catching the gate and kid safely without someone getting hurt or possibly killed. Sean looked to the kid. Talking to him would distract them both. "Hey buddy. You're doing great! Look at me. Tell me uh...tell me the best field trip that you ever had in class, huh?" He kept the kid conversing, distracting him while they worked on their next phase for getting the kid free. The chief radioed in to Sean [i]"Is the boy ready for extraction yet? We need to clear the balcony now, were ready to start the hoses" he informed the firefighter. [/i] Sean shakily pulled one hand free to hit his radio in response. "Not yet Chief. This gate is about to break and we need to steady it before chopping him free. Scott should be entering the apartment any minute now." This gave a boost of confidence for Sean as when he heard his Chief's voice he felt a surge of energy, a desire to accomplish this for the Chief. He had the most respect for him than anyone else in the house and his desire to get the job done for the Chief was a heavy motivating factor.