On a warm summer night in July we were sitting around the radio room solving all the problems in the world when I noticed something moving on the apparatus floor. I stepped out of the door just in time to see a small skunk wander into our Turn Out Gear storage area. I called the other guys and we went to investigate.

Some of them didn't believe me, but I got out a flashlight and shone it under the racks. There in the corner, underneath a shelf that holds boots, was a skunk.

Discussions began about how to get the skunk out of there without getting someone's gear sprayed. Our first plan was to lure it out with some popcorn. This was a good plan because all we needed to do was toss a little popcorn on the floor to create a trail for the skunk to follow. Then we could sit back and wait. And we'd have the rest of the popcorn to eat while we did it. Alas that plan did not work.

The next theory put forward was that the skunk was scared of us and was looking for a place to hide. Now that it was safely under the boots it would never come out. To overcome that I grabed a pike pole (a long pole with a hook on the end) and began pulling boots out of the equipment area. Once there were no more boots to hide under the skunk would have to come out. Also, by pulling the boots to safety I was protecting them from getting sprayed.

I pulled out all of the boots that were close to the skunk. Now we could see him clearly. The Assistant Captain noticed that the back door to the equipment room was still open. He didn't want the skunk to get into the back room of the station because then it would be even harder to get it out. In an act of utter bravery and with complete disregard for his personal safety and olfactory nerves, he dashed past the skunk and into the back room shutting the door behind him. Thus solving the problem.

The skunk appeared nervious and so did the Firefighters. It was obvious that the skunk didn't want to go anywhere. It wanted to just curl up and pretend no one could see it. I took the pike pole and banged it against the boot rack hoping the skunk would move the other way. It did start to move so I followed it with the pole. It crawled along the wall to the corner but faced with turning toward the doorway where I was standing it halted and instead turn back the way it came.

My success inspired another Firefghter to take up the pike pole and try. I was only too happy to give the lead over to a bolder Firefighter who not only managed to get the skunk to the same corner I did, he also got it to come toward the doorway by hiding off to the side while he worked the pole. To exit from the equipment area the skunk would have to make one more turn and come around a short secton of wall right beside the door. This was a major stumbling block. The skunk was already scared and nervious. I just wouldn't make this last turn. Finally the Firefighter with the pole decided to risk everything and slip into the equipment room behind the skunk and flush it out that way. This meant cornering himself in the room with the skunk. If it sprayed, he would have nowhere to go.

Into the room went the Firefighter with only a pike pole for protection. Its length was the only thing between him and the skunk. Cautiously he crept into the back corner of the room. The skunk stayed put but the first corner. The Firefighter extended the pole toward the skunk who again moved toward the doorway. This time, after a brief hesitation at the second corner, it made the turn to the doorway and came out onto the apparatus floor.

Other Firefighters rushed to prevent the skunk from getting into any other areas of the hall while at the same time they kept their distance. The skunk, perhaps being fed up with the whole situation, made a quick get away out the back door of the Firehall.

We congatulated ourselves and shut all of the back doors.

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FIRES These are stories about recent fires;

• House Fire
• Tanker Truck to a Garbage Bin Fire
• Tanker Trunk to a Hopper Fire
• Car Fire
• Warehouse Fire
• House Fire
• Apartment Fire
• House Fire

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS These are stories about car and truck accidents;

• Single Car Rollover
• Head-on Crash
• Rush Hour Accident
• Single Car Flip
• Car vs. Garbage Truck
• Van Rollover
• Sport Utility Vehicle Rollover
• 500m from the Dealership
• Left Turn Mistake

RESCUES These are stories about rescues we have made;

• Man Trapped in a Trailer

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS These are stories about emergencies involving Hazardous Materials;

• No Calls

MEDICAL We go to a lot of medical calls, but it is not fair to the people involved for me to describe their medical problems here. I can tell you about one incident and how it effected me;

• Stress

OTHER Sometimes interesting things happen around the Firehall;

• Skunk in the Firehall