Hartford Fire Department circa 1974

The big bell on the wall struck with a BANG! Oh so loud,

I jumped from my slumber, my head in a cloud.

We stood by the apparatus and listened for the sound,

The fast time tape was wrapping - my heart began to pound.

Off we flew not knowing any more,

Could this be a false or a fire of lore?

Three A.M., it was freezing this very night,

A building spitting flames -  a terrible sight.

To work we went, no radio communication at all,

We knew what to do, as ashes began to fall.

When the work was finished, we stopped for a break,

The boogers and running nose were real, make no mistake.

We got back to the fire house and it was inviting and warm,

Thank God we were not in the middle of a terrible snow storm.

Despite the hour we changed out the hose and cleaned our tools,

We prepared for the next one - we would not be taken for fools.

Our adrenaline was still pumping - so no time for bed,

To the kitchen we go, discussing the fire instead.

The day shift came in and we were through for the night,

Happily seeing our loved ones, we squeezed them on site.

George T. Camarco - Author

Attending a Retirees Meeting

The room is filled with eighteen voices all talking very loud,

The noise is deafening, you would think it was a bigger crowd.

The air horn and sirens have done their damage,

We all share hearing loss as we try to manage.

The men in the room were once vibrant and strong,

They battled many fires knowing arson is wrong.

Tonight, the conversations are happy and free,

The topic now is how often we must pee.

The fires remembered may have grown just a bit,

Embellishing some, well it just seems to fit.

For those were the days and these men were bold,

Presently, they are aged, tired and absolutely worth their weight in gold.

George T. Camarco - Author