Fire safety
On Wednesday I was called to go to a serious fire in the northwest. The blaze had engulfed three homes by the time I arrived and firefighters were having a tough time getting this two- alarm inferno under control. By the time the fire was out, three houses were destroyed, six houses suffered heat damage, and three families were left without their homes.
Many people believe the only ones in harm’s way in situations like this are the firefighters battling the blaze or those who may have been in the homes at the time. Some don’t realize though, that the media often places itself in a dangerous position so we can get you the story as it happens.
Whenever there is a fire, the public is kept back by emergency crews and police tape blocks away from the situation. That’s done for your safety. Not only is there an intense heat and flames shooting out, but there is always a thick smoke that blows through the neighbourhood filled with chemicals that are being burned off in the home. Trust me, there are a lot of bad things being burned that you DON’T want to breathe in.
But while the public is held back, the media are allowed to cross the yellow tape and get right next to the fire trucks as the blaze is being battled. My News Director always tells me “don’t take any chances, it’s better to be safe than sorry”. She is right. The first time I reported on a house fire I wasn’t prepared for what I would go through.
There was a thick white smoke that was blanketing the area and I was given a surgical mask by a firefighter to make sure I wouldn’t be breathing in the fumes. I would forget to put it back on after every live hit and ended up with a lot of bad smoke in my lungs. All night I was violently coughing as if I was a smoker for 60 years. I coughed so hard, I ruined my voice and could barely finish my shift the next day.
When I arrived at the house fire in Royal Oak this week, one of the first things I did was find a firefighter and get myself a mask. I have learned my lesson, but it appears many other journalists on scene have not. I was amazed to see some of my fellow reporters standing with me as clouds of smoke surrounded us. As I threw my mask on they stood there bare faced breathing in the chemicals from the vinyl siding, the tar paper, the paint, and all the plastics that filled the houses. Some were there for hours continuing this unhealthy practice.
If you ever become a reporter for a day or decide to take on a life of journalism I don’t advise you to take those chances. Even though I used a mask I still had the coughs when I was finished at the scene and when I got back to the newsroom, I stunk up the place with my house fire musk.
Although I like to bring you the best story possible, the Black Lung is not for me.