The Other Side

Terrorism in Summer

Location: New Orderlands

Once again the sun won't set for a few months, this means that crime rates will go down, and gatherings increase in size. This would be fine there wasn't a civil war going on. Even after the brief war with China ended insurgents remained in the city, they had been able to secure tons of weapons from the Chinese retreat, stealing weapons from destroyed NO fortifications, and the Chinese supplying them directly. Now if you were a group of terrorists trying to take over a nation and your ally just bombed the shit out of it's military and gave you thousands of new weapons, what would you do when a few ten thousand people meet in one place. If you said bomb it, correct.

News Broadcast: 

Reporter: We are at the convention today, for the first time in 20 years New Orderia will be hosting, the NOPD has cordoned off the area so expect some traffic. We will be entering in just a moment to see exactly what is happ-

The reporter was cut off by a massive explosion from the convention  center. The police officers directing traffic turned around and ran towards the fireball rising from the building. An estimated 200 thousand people were in the area for the convention and they all ran for safety as emergency crews arrived. The camera turned off as an emergency broadcast was played

Broadcast: Due to a terrorist attack protocol 1 is being enacted, please seek shelter immediately and await instructions from emergency officials.

Location: Convention center, with FDNO station 76.

Captain: Rescue and ladder, head to the southeast corner and search for victims. Engine, grab a few hose packs and follow them. We are going with CMC medics 20 through 25 and their supervisor. Rescue, grab every toll you have, we are going to need it. Preserve your air, god knows when you will get a refill.

The firefighters approached the massive building that had flames shooting out the top as more crews exited vehicles and were briefed. When the firefighters entered police officers were directing civilians out of the building as paramedics and firefighters entered. 76 started heading to their assigned area and on the way passed firefighters trying to hold back the flames and get civilians out.

Outside another problem became more apparent, the fireworks. There was a plan to launch hundreds of huge fireworks after the convention ended and those were stored on the upper floors. The floors that were collapsed and burning to be more specific. At any moment every firework in the center could go off in a massive explosion that could bring down the building on the firefighters.

Battalion Chief: 76, 22, 53, and 19, we need you to divert to the top floor, reported explosives being stored. Fireworks, hundreds of them. Get that top floor handled now, air support is available from the WFM. I'm heading up there now with 6 to direct you.

The firefighters diverted to get that fire under control while R-13(still assigned to 76) was sent over to 28 to help look for victims. The ladder companies for the units sent to handle the firework issue would be doing the most dangerous job, dragging the explosives out of the fire. If even one of the fireworks went off during this the firefighter dragging them away would die or at the very least loose 2 or 3 limbs. 

When they reached the top floor the fire was bad. Firefighters below them had tried to get it under control but the shear amount of fire made that nearly impossible. Efforts had been diverted to handling the area around the top floor but it would still take a long time to get it under control. WFM helicopters had just arrived and would be doing a few passes over the flaming building to do water drops, it wouldn't be accurate but it would help a lot.

The first helicopters flew over and they had less than hoped for effects. The smoke made it hard to see the drop zone but the water did put out some of the fire. The ladder companies outside were dumping hundreds of gallons per minute onto the fire and were helping get the fire to a more controlled state.

Inside things were not going well. Plenty of fireworks had been dragged out and engine 2 had a firefighter hosing down the fireworks that had been stacked near the stairs to prevent them from igniting. Ladder crews were pulling more and more fireworks out and a few civilians had been dragged out in the process. In between pulling out fireworks, when 22 and 53 ran out of the fire and when 76 and 19 went in, there was a sound of a rocket. A loud whistle followed immediately by an explosion.

The firefighters dropped to the ground and covered their heads as the building shook from the explosion. The got up and did a quick head count before evacuating the area. While they walked to the door the hallway tilted to the left and the firefighters slid. The standpipes(a pipe that a fire engine fills with water so the firefighters can enter a building, climb to the top floor, and grab a hose to put out the fire without needing to carry the hose all the way up while it is filled with water) in the walls burst and water poured in. The battalion chief with them noticed what was happening and gave an order.

Battalion chief: 6 battalion to IC, there was an explosion, top floor is coming down, everyone needs to finish the primary and get the fuck out of this thing before it collapses.

Radio: 10-4, where are you right now?

Battalion chief: No clue, we were heading to a stairwell but the entire floor leaned to the side, we could be 3 floors down at this point.

Radio: 2 truck to battalion 6, the stairwell has been blocked but we have reached a collapsed section of roof, it should lead to you. We are going to cut into it and get you out.

Battalion chief: Alright but do it fast, in the mean time I'm going to secure the remaining explosives.

The battalion chief and some other firefighters ran off and dragged any fireworks that hadn't exploded to the hallway the rest of the firefighters were in. While they did that a few firefighters had found two paramedics who were trapped on the same floor. They rescue workers sat in the partially flooded hallway and talked about whatever came to mind to pass the time. They listened to a radio and it pretty much was crews checking in with one another about the evacuation. Most civilians that weren't dead or weren't buried had been evacuated already and the ones that hadn't were being led out by firefighters. The fires had also been partially extinguished by helicopters and ladder companies, the engines had used deck guns and hoses to deal with the lower floors but after about three or four floors they couldn't do much.

Finally after what felt like hours station 2 and rescue 13 had breached the roof/floor/wall and they led the firefighters out, the fireworks were dragged along as well and when they got outside every one of them was taken by paramedics and EMTs. The building did not collapse any further(at least not noticeably) and the fires were fully out and the area was determined not to be contaminated 2 days later.