SIGHTS
A large, multi-truck bay (for fire trucks, paramedic trucks, rescue boats, a ladder truck and ambulance), painted marks on the cement floor to designate staging areas or to organize specific equipment, firefighter gear at the ready (boots, bunker pants, helmets, an oxygen tank, gloves, a jacket, a hood and mask, a spanner belt for holding an axe and other tools), hoses that pull exhaust from running trucks waiting in the bay, a fire investigation truck, florescent lighting, giant roll-up garage doors, ladders, an intercom, fire extinguishers, dormitory bedrooms for firefighters (a bed and small table, some gear nearby to start the dressing process), several firefighter poles, a large bathroom, a locker room with lockers and showers, a workout room (free weights, resistance training, cardio equipment), a full kitchen (with multiple fridges, a stove and microwave, a pantry, counters, coffee pots, pots and pans, an eating hall with long tables), a watch room and administration area (dispatch officers, computers, printers, maps, emergency radios, a phone switchboard), a training room (with comfortable chairs, a television, a whiteboard, manuals)
SOUNDS
A dispatcher alerting the crew regarding emergency calls, sirens, heavy boots running over the floor, rumbling engines starting up, echoes off the high truck bay walls, shutter doors opening and closing, the clang of air tanks being set down on the concrete floor or stored in cabinets, the drag of hoses being laid out for inspection, the metal doors of storage compartments being opened and shut, the clink of tools and couplings being joined and secured to hoses, tool box lids slamming closed
SMELLS
Exhaust, meals being cooked, cleaning supplies, smoky uniforms and equipment, rubber from one’s mask, the metallic tang of air from an oxygen canister, creosote, sweat
TASTES
Hearty and healthy meals that one might cook at home yet are portioned to serve a crowd (pot roast and potatoes, spaghetti or lasagna, hamburgers and potato salad)
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
Shoving feet into fire-proofed steel-toed boots, the snap of a suspender against the shoulder when pulling on fire retardant pants, the heaviness of a full tool belt dragging on the hip, the press of an air canister on one’s back, the give of a mattress when one’s shift is over at last, the bounce of a seat as one climbs into a fire truck, the heaviness of a hose on the shoulder while carting it to the truck, the cold metal handle of a toolbox, thick gloves sliding over calloused hands, being jounced and bounced in the cab of the fire truck, collapsing into a bunk after a midnight call, the satisfaction of showering away the sweat and ash from fighting a fire
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Equipment malfunctioning or vehicles breaking down
Fires or emergencies that occur simultaneously and strain resources
An illness sweeping through the fire hall (like a flu or food poisoning)
A firefighter falling in the line of duty
A crew member being investigated for a breach of protocol that resulted in injury or death
Post-traumatic stress disorder
A fire at the fire hall itself
Personal issues between firefighters that cause problems on the job
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
A fire prevention chief and chief of training, a safety chief, administration staff and dispatchers, civilians requiring assistance in emergencies, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, school tour groups, the fire marshal
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Rural Volume: House fire
Urban Volume: Ambulance, police station
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Many fire halls have several companies or units that run in 24-hour shifts. Smaller stations may not have the full array of emergency vehicles, but most will have two fire truck units and a paramedic ambulance. They might also be staffed by volunteer firefighters. When not actively fighting fires, the company maintains equipment, cooks and cleans the firehouse, sleeps in shifts, works out, or trains in new equipment usage, technology, and firefighting techniques.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
A blaring sound pulsed through the bunkhouse floor. There was no in-between—one moment the sleeping firefighters were shrouded in the dark, and the next, they were awake and leaping out of bed, snapping on lights, shoving glasses on their faces and racing for the door. Like a wave smashing the shore, the seven-man crew poured out into the narrow hall where a pole waited at the end, fast-tracking the way to their gear and rig that stood ready below.
Techniques and Devices Used: Light and shadow, multisensory descriptions, simile
Resulting Effects: Foreshadowing, tension and conflict