At my fire department, we have what we call the air trailer. This is a
converted U-Haul trailer which containes several high pressure air cylinders
which we use to fill up the smaller air cylinders that firefighters wear on
their back. We keep the air in the trailer so that we can attach it to a
pick-up truck and take it to the scene of a large fire. Several years ago,
it had been taken to a large drill that had lasted longer than expected and
the trailer was not returned to the fire station until about midnight by
some weary people who were happy to be almost ready to go home. As I
approached the vehicle, I noticed that the weary driver was struggling to
remove the hitch from the ball. In my everso helpful way, I provided just
enough extra lift to get the hitch clear. It became very clear, instantly,
that the driver had forgoten to chock the wheels as the trailer started
backing very slowly, by it self, down the gentle incline. The incline
(there always seems to be an incline in these stories) was fairly gental
but, since the trailer weighted 7,000 lbs it continued to roll down hill,
seamingly in slow motion with three firefighters now on their bellies
hanging onto the tongue being dragged through the gravel.
Seeing around the trailer I could quickly predict the eventual route. It
would first go through a large power box, knock out all power to this end of
town, then knock down a telephone pole, which was guyed to three other poles
on down the street, no doubt knocking them down like dominos. After that it
appeared destined to go through the mayors car before eventually coming to
rest inside the grocery store at the bottom of the hill. At that moment,
just inches away from the first obstical, the power box, the trailer high
centered on the curb and stopped immeaditly. Evidently, god had determined
that we had been punished enough. Luckly, being a fire department, we were
able to remove the trailer and put it back without calling for outside help.
We have since moved the location of the trailer.
Chris DeStaffany
66 Herald since 1971
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