Happy New Year From Station 31

Stew in front of Station 31's new ladder truck.

Stewart had to work this year on New Year's Eve, and since I still hadn't gotten a chance to seen his new station it was the perfect opportunity for a ride along. That way we still got to celebrate the holiday together, and I also had the opportunity to experience what one of his 24 hour shifts feels like. We figured that New Year's Eve would also have a variety of crazy calls like fires caused by fireworks, drinking and driving accidents, bar fights, etc.

I think this is a good look for me...

Stew leaves for work early, and we were on the road before 6am to arrive in Auburn for the start of his shift. After morning checks to the engine and equipment, the crew headed to the grocery store to pick up provisions for breakfast and dinner. It's tradition at the fire station to cook large family-style meals together when they have to work on a holiday. Literally right as we left the store to head back to the station, the guys were called out for a residential fire... whoo hoo! Lights and sirens wailing we raced to the scene, it was all very exciting. A lady's single wide mobile home had gone up in flames and I got to watch Stewie help fight the fire and clean up the scene (all while wearing my super sexy, bright orange, "fire observer" vest).

Lookin' good! Yes, the mustache is still there...

It took Stew and the guys quite a while when they got back to decontaminate all their gear, but afterward we ate a yummy breakfast/brunch/lunch. Surprisingly, the rest of the day was relatively quiet, although since it was Saturday the guys had to do weekly checks on the ladder truck. Which meant for fun, I got to go up in the basket! It was seriously scarier and higher than many carnival rides I've experienced. And to think that in a real emergency the firefighters would have to climb OUT of the basket when it's fully extended! No thanks.

Getting read to head up...

It is HIGH.

Operating the ladder...

I even learned how to drive!

That evening Stew cooked an amazing dinner of his specialty burgers... deliciously seasoned beef patties with cheese, bacon, mashed potatoes, and a fried egg! Try it sometime, it will rock your world (and don't tell my trainer I ate one...) After dinner we went on an illegal burn call which turned out to be nothing more than a small backyard bonfire. Shortly after that we were called to another residential fire which also ended up being a backyard burn, and we were turned back before we even arrived on the scene. So we settled in to watch the ball drop and enjoyed some sparkling cider before heading to bed (and expecting to wake up to some crazy calls... likely as soon as the bars closed).

Stewart woke me up at 6:30am... we hadn't gotten a single call and had slept through the night! I still can't believe it. The guys all attributed it to me and said with my good luck I am invited to do a ride along any time I like.

Even though we got some sleep that night I was still utterly exhausted when we arrived home the next morning. 24 hours is a long time to be at work... trust me. These are such great guys and they work so hard, and I was so happy to spend the last bit of 2011 with them.

Happy New Year from Sarah at Stewart, live from Station 31 in Auburn!