End of May

I finally posted my Frederick mini race report. I forgot to mention that Sir Sweet Cheeks and his friend went out to lunch with Jamie and I after the race and had a wonderful time celebrating my 30th... even with the stomach issues.
The following Saturday I had the pleasure and the joy of seeing The Cure in Philly on their tour. It was a wonderful time with good music and my Uncle Howard. I forgot how much I love seeing them live and how I felt like a kid just discovering their music for the first time.
Sunday May 11th brought the start of the rain and the threat of flooding. I went to sleep, ready for work on Monday. At 2:30 am my pager went off, our station being dispatched for a "Residential Rescue". I got dressed quickly and took Jamie's truck, in case of water on the roads. I made it to the station 11 minutes after the intial call and was greeted with lots of radio traffic in the station. I listened as people were being rescued and calls were made for more boats from other stations. I got a call to bring the van to the scene, so I could transport victims to the station.
One of the officers was coming into the station so we loaded the van with flares, an AED, and a med bag. We were off, although we tried to swamp the van while leaving town. Once on scene I watched as the water rushed higher and higher, causing us to retreat away from the Bay Shore. I listened as a mandatory evacuation order was put into place and helped put vicitms and their pets into the van and make the drive back to the station. I listened their stories, their worries, and their biggest fears. I watched as they clutched their pets, their kids, and each other. All I could offer was a warm ride and a promise of food and coffee at the fire station. I had nothing else that I could say to make it better for them, only could offer a hand with their luggage, a hug, and scratch for a displaced pet.
In the end, almost 200 people were evacuated from the area. While we did our best to save pets, some were unfortunately lost in the floods, although no human life was lost. It served as a reminder that things can change in a moment, if the tide is right.