While our boss nick named ‘Mad Dog’ and chauffeur slid the traditional brass pole near the base of the stairs at the apparatus floor. I yell back to Willy and Sven’Corky’ Johansen coming down the stairs behind me and Larry the Control man (last but most important man on a hose line) “Hey guys we got a job!”. Willy snaps back excitedly “Yeah, and guess what, I got the nozzle!”. The nozzle man is the guy in an Engine Company who controls the hose line at the nozzle and myself the back up man gives him support to absorb the tremendous kick back in water pressure being pumped thru it from the Engine pumping motor. Willy had been in Engine-84 for 2 years after transferring up from a mid town truck. He had caught a number of fires in those 2 years but never as the ‘prized’ spot of ‘nozzle man’. At the apparatus floor the smoke is lifting above our heads due to the 16 foot high ceilings and I hear the familiar roar of the powerful Mack Diesel engine come to life as John our chauffeur starts the truck. We all hop on the truck and roll out the apparatus door turning left up the street with L-34 following close behind. As both companies turn left again onto Amsterdam Ave following the thick drifting smoke we are all met with an incredible site…