Maxberry: We are looking for the obvious. We do not go digging down deep. We look for fire hazards and then safety. Fire hazards like overloaded extension cords or things sitting too close to a furnace. We make sure it is safe just in case there is a fire. Some of the things we look for are blocked exits; exit signs that are well lit and fire escapes should be in working order. We also inspect and make sure it is safe for us. If a facility is too junky, we have to ask the owner to clean up. Remember, if there is a fire, we can’t see. So we have to make sure they clean it up. We also make sure the fire extinguishers are up-to-date, charged and serviced within the past twelve months. Night clubs, machine shops, chemical factories (especially chemical factories), you name it, the owners will cringe when they see us sometimes depending on whether they are in violation of fire codes. We generally give them plenty of time to correct the situation. Sometimes they want us to come in to make sure they are in compliance. Companies that have chemicals have to have their labeling correct. If they have barrels of chemicals, we have to know what is in all the barrels and the owner must have current documentation and permits.

MBR: How much can we believe about a firefighter’s work from what we see on movies or television?

Maxberry: You can’t believe everything and that goes with about anything you see on TV. I would say most of it is real but as far as movies are concerned, half real the other half is Hollywood. I heard “Ladder 49” is the most realistic movie out of every movie that has had firefighting as the topic. In a fire movie, you are usually looking in when they are in the middle of a fire and you can see everything. That is not true. In a middle of a fire, you can’t see anything. It’s pitch black. But to capture the action for the audience, they have to let you the viewer see what is going on. We have flashlights and those only allow us to see what is immediately in front of us. In a good fire the smoke is so dark, you can think you are in a room and actually being in someone’s closet. For the most part, we crawl around in fires but you can get really lost crawling around. A smoke filled room is worse than a dark room because even a night light won’t light it up. It’s like being in a black hole. I guess the best way to experience it is close your eyes and perform a task.

MBR: Explain to me what they mean when they classify a fire as a “5 Alarm Fire”.

Maxberry: Well, there are 5 levels of alarms. Each level indicates the amount of equipment and or manpower necessary to put out the fire. The higher the number, the more trucks, firefighters and equipment they send out. The officer on the scene determines what level the fire is. How a fire is classified usually depends on conditions or a situation. For example, if the fire has been going a long time and the guys on the scene are worn out, they will increase the alarm level. If you are in a good fire like that, you will need those two days off to recuperate because you will be worn out. You are doing everything at super speed, running around with 85 pounds of equipment and climbing ladders. You will be worn out.

Another example is weather conditions, especially in the wintertime. I remember one winter it was so cold outside that the excess water we sprayed that was on the street froze immediately. That created a huge sheet of ice on the property and while we were cleaning up, all the firefighters were falling because they were slipping on the ice. That is, all except for me. I put my Open House skating skills to use. I got my slide on.

MBR: Since 9/11, there has been heightened security across the country to protect American citizens from terrorism. How has this affected your job?

Maxberry: We are trained to look for weapons of mass destruction and investigate possible terrorist threats. The threats generally heighten on the holidays; New Year’s being the biggest to watch out for terrorism. On a national scale, Times Square, Downtown Chicago and Las Vegas are the hottest areas to watch. Air space is also restricted.

MBR: What happens when you get a call that someone sees something suspicious such as an unidentified package?

Maxberry: The heavy rescue unit has the equipment to handle the situation such as radiation suits and biological suits. We support them as part of the fire department responsibilities but it is a specialized group. Engine 14 is our bomb unit. It goes out if we are called about a suspicious package. If there is something on the water down on the river, then we go out because we have a boat. There are many specialized groups that respond to different situations.

MBR: Taking all of these situations into consideration, the most tragic outcome of any call is death. How do you handle that?

Maxberry: When I first started dealing with the sight of dead people, the scene played in my mind for a while even after I got home. But now I’ve seen a lot of deaths. Unless it’s something really gruesome, it doesn’t really affect me at all. So much so, I really don’t cry at funerals anymore. When I see young people that perish it is really sad. You have to keep God in perspective. When I see them, I just hope they were saved and lived right before they died.

MBR: Did you ever consider being a police officer?

Maxberry: No. Actually, I’m glad I’m not a cop. Firefighters are looked at in a better light than cops. People associate cops as being the bad guy, most black people do anyway, particularly people in Cincinnati in light of what has been going on in our city. They associate us as being the good guys. We are not there to arrest anyone; we are there to rescue and help. Our complete job description is to help people any way you put it. But we are obligated to contact the police department if we see a crime in progress. The police respond with us on assaults and other crimes. We are glad to see them because sometimes the perpetrator remains on the scene.

MBR: Now that you mention the pubic perception of police officers, let’s consider the situations that are not “dire” emergencies and the public’s personal attitudes towards firefighters. In your experience, how do the ladies look at firemen?

Maxberry: Some women tend to be aggressive. I think it is the uniform, especially on this job. I encounter the more aggressive ones when I’m on duty then when I’m off duty. They may have dollar signs flashing, who knows? Maybe they want the security of a man that has a job. I can’t knock them for that. Any women with good sense would rather have a man with a job than a lazy man that won’t work. Of course some of the guys might take advantage of the benefits, but you know it’s all in choice. There are times when people have called the fire department because someone is diabetic and having a seizure or going into a coma. Depending on the circumstances, they may not be thinking about preparing for a stranger to enter their home and probably completely undressed when we arrive. That is an understandable situation. But there are other times when we can arrive and the person intentionally is “inappropriately” dressed. It’s hard to determine what their purpose or objective is. They may be trying to show off their body or trying to get a date. I really don’t know. Most of these types of calls are legitimate but the ones that aren’t are a very small percentage.