The Other Side

FDNO: GT 2197

The Giallo Tower fire, known as GT among NO firefighters, medics, and police officers. Giallo Tower caught fire because of a construction accident on the upper floors, collapses within the tower caused fires to break out on lower floors. This chapter takes place immediately after 76 got toned out, when the FDNO incident command declared it a 3rd alarm. We will be following station 51 for this chapter.

First some information on the firehouse: 51 houses an engine, a paramedic SUV, a utility(equipment transport), a hazmat unit, and a district chief. The callsigns are as follows: E51, PM51, U51, HM51, DC51. The district chief goes by Trigger, the station captain is Hopper, and a probationary firefighter is Solomon.

Location: FDNO station 51, Greater Renton(a massive residential district), New Orderlands, Earth

Radio: Station 51, respond code 3. 10-60(major emergency), Giallo Tower is now 3rd alarm.

The firefighters and paramedics ran over to their apparatus and got in. The engine pulled out of the bay and blocked the road for the other units to exit the station while Captain Hopper got onboard. Now the incident command post's view of the fire was obscured by the smoke blowing from the tower, but from 51 the real horror of the fire was visible. 30 floors with flames and smoke billowing out and the cloud of smoke spreading over the capital. Trigger grabbed his radio while responding and gave an order.

Trigger: DC-51 to dispatch, send me everything you got to Giallo Tower.

Radio: All hands, complete deployment of FDNO requested by DC 51, Commissioner Donnahue taking command from this moment on.

Trigger then requested WFM aircraft be deployed to the structure to aid in rescue operations. The units drove down the road towards the fire as police cars and ambulances followed. When they arrived the area around the tower was surrounded by fire trucks and EMS units. NOPD ESU officers were running around with helmets and SCBA on directing civilians away from the fire. The wind changed directions and for the first time units at the scene saw the fire in full. It was still growing and more reports of collapses were coming in by the second. The entire top half of the tower was burning, considering this is the tallest building in New Orderia that is even worse. 

The firefighters from 51 met up with commissioner Donnahue and stood holding their equipment, mostly hose packs and medical supplies. Right as they did this WFM helicopters flew into the smoke with spotlights shining towards the tower. 

Donnahue: 51! Get your men into that tower with 76, you are going with them Chief.

Trigger: Copy that sir. Alright 51, you heard him, up the stairs.

Solomon: Let's save some lives!

The firefighters entered the tower's lobby and saw firefighters heading up the stairs. A few paramedics went in the opposite direction with a man on a stretcher who was missing an arm. A few firefighters from ladder 1 also walked past with a victim on a backboard. 

Trigger: Jesus Christ, what happened up there?

The firefighters carrying the victim stopped for a moment. They turned to Trigger, they were covered in soot and the sirens of approaching units wailed through the city.

Firefighter:30 floors are burning and it is not going well. We have at most 20 attack lines on it.

Trigger: God damn, is that all we have?

Firefighter: Its more of the standpipes are broken on multiple areas, we are hooking up wherever we can but it is slow progress.

The firefighters adjusted their gear and carried the victim out of the tower and towards the triage area. The firefighters from 51 and 76 checked their equipment again when out of nowhere a bang came from an elevator. The doors were opened by an inch or two and smoke poured out. Solomon dropped his hose pack and ran over and peeked through the crack. Inside civilians were injured and on the ground, fire was burning inside the controls and multiple civilians were covered in burns.