We were eating early, and enjoying rather good hamburgers off the grill, since we had a 7 p.m. class to attend. However, the entire focus soon shifted to a storm that clobbered the area from Hull Street Road to Bon Air. The first fire was an attic fire on Denton Drive in the Greenfield subdivision. The second fire was on Wexwood Drive in Stonhenge. In the midst of this, a tree fell through a house on Courthouse, trapping one occupant. There were downed trees and power lines everywhere, with many other trees resting on other houses and vehicles. The storm was short-lived, but it created enough havoc to keep us busy for hours.

Storms, especially those packed with wind and electricity, cause our workload to go from one extreme to the other. Even though we operate under reduced response and recall all volunteers, our system still gets taxed to the maximum. At one point, Truck 12 was responding from Ettrick to Courthouse Road. As there are only five truck companies in Chesterfield County, the trucks may quickly get used up, or a truck may have to travel a great distance to get to a call. Keep in mind that a truck is defined as a unit with the aerial ladder on top.

There have been a few people struck by lightning this year, so it might do me well to share some safety thoughts:

• The storm might be miles away, but lightning can still strike you. Whether on the golf course, baseball field or at the swimming pool, go to safe shelter when you hear the first thunder.
• Flash flooding can cause roads to be instantly impassable. Small creeks can become raging torrents.
• If you have large trees close to your home, you may want to position yourself as far from the trees as possible inside of your home.
• Stay away from windows and doors.
• High winds can affect more than trees. It can also cause deck furniture and trash cans to become flying projectiles.
• If you are on the water, remember that a storm can come up quickly. Don’t chance your ability to outrun it.

We need the rain, but sometimes we get a bit more than we bargain for. Sometimes, the moisture comes in the form of hail. Hail not only damages your vehicle, but can also seriously damage you. With current technology, we can know the path of a storm, the time it will arrive and the possibility/probability of a tornado in its midst. This being the case, we should watch our local news stations for the most current updates.

After doing this work for 34 years, I still love being at work when a major storm is passing by, whether it be a snowstorm, thunderstorm or hurricane. I enjoy being tested to my max, as well. If someone needs to run 30 calls in a 24-hour period, it might as well be the unit that I am assigned to. Incidentally, this was the number of calls that we ran on Engine 1 during Hurricanes Fran and Isabel.