The Heroes That Time Forgot

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The Heroes That Time Forgot

I work in the midst of an army of brave men
Some be heroes and some be not
But in the realm of modern scientific progress
We’re the heroes that time forgot

The tubes of air we carry into battle
Are rated for thirty minutes
Though mask itself lasts for only about twelve
When we strap our face into it

Over thirty years of improvements have yielded
A bottle rated for forty-five
Yet it still gives us only enough for twenty
To allow us to survive

Wooden ladders have made way for aluminum
To make them easier to deploy
We still have to raise them and vent at the roof
Before the rafters are destroyed

Progress has given us C-G-M’s* and TIC’s*
To aid us in our work
But in order to employ these tools we need
To go where danger lurks

Modern science has made G-P-S commonplace
But our locaters rely on sound
We need to search through all the smoky debris
If our lost member is to be found

Sledge hammers, axes, pry-bars and more
Continue to serve us well
These tools of brute force, though seemingly ancient
Never fail after the bell

Engineers have made for much cheaper buildings
Via lightweight-construction
But when these structures are subject to fire
They’re prone to quicker destruction

Although they’re perfectly safe in normal conditions
They’re not designed for fire
So when a single thin member succumbs to flame
A catastrophic collapse transpires

While these engineering advances are taking place
Our job is still the same
We need to “put the wet stuff on the red stuff”
In order to squelch the flames

Just because the conditions have changed
Doesn’t mean we change our plan
We still must venture inside to put it out
As quickly as we can

So as we all enjoy the fruits of science which have
Given us what we’ve got
Let us not forget the firefighters who are
The heroes that time forgot

9-Aug-2012 -- Tom Kenney

*TIC’s (Thermal Imaging Cameras)
*C-G-I’s (Combustible Gas Meters)