Alex sat next to Elise and clapped a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I know, but you need the practice and you're going to be the best when you work in real life situations. I wouldn't ask you to do it if I didn't think you were highly capable." The siren would blare loudly as they pulled away from the fire station heading towards the scene of the call. Alex kept in close communication with Elise as she drove, helping guide her when needed through the streets. Thankfully the fire wasn't far as their help was in dire need and quickly.
The building sat at 5 stories tall, an apartment complex that had gated balconys at certain levels. The third floor was a blaze, fire spewing from the right side out of an apartment on the corner, two different windows facing different angles of the street already broken through with fire raging outside of them. The smoke was billowing in dark plumes, already filling the third floor residents. It seemed most of the people had evacuated as many of them stood around the building, looking up in terror at something else that was catching their eyes besides the bright fire.
On the second floor, on one of the gated balcony's, there was a boy on his knees with his head stuck between the bars. He was crying with what looked to be mostly fear more than pain as his mom sat behind him holding the gate in a white knuckle grip. The gate gave a small creak and moved an inch forward and it was clear the foundation was breaking. The gate leaned precariously forward, one side barely attached with the child's mom holding on for his life. The structure was showing signs of weakness such that if the mother were to let go the weight of the boys stuck head would send the gate pummeling forward and crashing down to the ground.
When the trucks drove up Alex waited no time to jump out and survey the situation. The child needed to be taken care of immediately and she turned to look to Scott, Lieutenant of the Squad, to make sure he was on top of his people to handle that part of the operation. Sean was one of Scott's best squad members and was the quickest in scaling the ladders. Sean was next to Scott, waiting for him to give the order on how they should best approach the situation. The gate needed to be secured before they tried to remove the child, the first risk being his fall to what would most likely be his death. The mom cried out in terror as she saw the trucks arrive. "Please help me! I can't hold on much longer and the gate is slipping! I'm in Apt 6 please help us!" Sean's heart pounded. He would never get used to the adrenaline that surged through his body from these calls but he knew from experience how to channel the adrenaline in to productive and focused energy. Scott also had Gabrielle if he needed further medical assistance for the child. Gabrielle could enter the apartment from the inside to assist and evaluate.
Alex turned back to her team, looking to both Astrid and Elise, and ordered everyone to put on their masks. "Let's scout the floor for anyone else who might be inside. We need to move fast and efficient before the fire spreads any further on the floor." She pulled on her mask that covered her face, gear on to provide her the clean breathing to maneuver safely through the smoke filled floors. Alex led the team towards the stairs where they would climb towards the third floor to look for anyone alive and left behind.
