Man, what a day! I swear, being a parachutist firefighter in Gardone-Val-Trompia is like riding a rollercoaster that’s stuck on the loop-de-loop. So, I wake up, right? Sun’s shining, birds are chirping, and I’m thinking, “Today’s gonna be chill.” Ha! Spoiler alert: it was NOT chill.
First off, I grab my coffee at that little café on Via Roma. You know the one? The barista, Marco, always messes up my order. I mean, how hard is it to get a black coffee? But whatever, I’m not here to start a war over caffeine. I down the coffee, and boom, I’m off to the station.
So, I’m suiting up, and my buddy Luca is cracking jokes about my helmet. “Dude, you look like a space cadet!” I laugh, but inside, I’m like, “Yeah, well, at least I’m not a firefighter in a tutu.” Anyway, we get the call. Fire in a building on Via Garibaldi. My heart races. This is it!
We jump in the truck, sirens blaring, and I’m thinking, “This is gonna be wild.” We get there, and it’s chaos. Smoke everywhere, people screaming. I can’t even see the building! It’s like a scene from a movie, but way less glamorous. I grab my gear, and we start to climb.
I’m on the roof, and let me tell you, the view of the Trompia Valley is insane. But then, I see it. A little kid stuck on the balcony! My heart drops. I’m like, “No way, not today!” I jump off the roof, parachute deployed, and I’m flying down like a superhero.
I land, and the kid’s crying. I scoop him up, and he’s like, “Are you a real firefighter?” I’m like, “Nah, I just wear this suit for fun.” But seriously, I’m feeling like a rockstar. I hand him off to his mom, and she’s crying, thanking me. I’m all, “Just doing my job, lady!” But inside, I’m like, “Damn, that felt good.”
Then, back to the fire. It’s raging, and I’m getting mad. Why do people always leave their stuff on the stove? Like, come on! I’m sweating buckets, and my gear feels like a sauna. I’m yelling at Luca, “Get that hose over here!” He’s fumbling around like a toddler. I’m about to lose it, but then I remember: teamwork, right?
We finally get the fire under control. I’m exhausted, but there’s this rush. The adrenaline is pumping, and I’m thinking, “I could do this forever.” But then, I look around. The street is a mess. Via Garibaldi is covered in ash, and I’m like, “Great, now we gotta clean this up.”
After the chaos, we head back to the station. I’m still buzzing, but I can’t shake the feeling of anger. Why do people take risks? It’s not worth it! I mean, Gardone-Val-Trompia is beautiful. The mountains, the rivers, the history! Why mess it up with careless mistakes?
Later, we chill at the local pizzeria. I’m scarfing down a slice, and Luca’s telling everyone about my “heroic” jump. I roll my eyes. “Dude, I just did my job.” But honestly, it felt good to be a hero for a day.
As I head home, I can’t help but smile. Gardone-Val-Trompia is my home, and even on the craziest days, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I mean, who else gets to jump out of planes and save lives? Just another day in the life of a parachutist firefighter, right?