It takes a cool head to turn chaos into calm especially when smoke fills the air.
Before I even arrived at work today I was out reporting on a fire at multi-residential building on Gordon Street just west of the downtown. I smelled the fire from a block away on my morning drive and then saw the smoke and the fire trucks as they arrived on the scene shortly after 4:30 am.
To the untrained eye, it was a chaotic scene with a frenzy of activity ringed by startled neighbours and flashing lights.
To this reporter, it was also a masterclass in inter-agency cooperation, staging, psychology and of course security and disaster mitigation.
In minutes, I watched the first few firefighters, police officers and paramedics arrive and assess the situation.
The street was blocked off, a perimeter established, multiple people were helped out of the building by Firefighters, and the fire was quickly contained.
At least once, police had to prevent someone from going back in. Paramedics had to assess multiple people, as we wondered about who may still be trapped inside.
All of that, and much more, happened within about 10 minutes. Those are the minutes that save lives, limit damage to property, and help prevent a much greater tragedy.
In the time it takes most of us to enjoy our first cup of coffee, and long before daybreak, emergency responders in Belleville were showing their dedication, professionalism and skill.
That’s an A-plus for the night shift even though very few people besides me ever saw it.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
