What happens in case of a fire? A flurry of activity, really.

When you call 9-1-1 to report a fire, the call is answered by fire dispatchers at the Platte County Communications Centers in Platte City. They dispatch all fire calls for all departments in the county.

They page all Southern Platte firefighters on the firefighters' voice pagers. That call sounds something like, "Pumper 20, Pumper 21, Pumper 22, Pumper 23, reported residential structure fire at 12345 Main Street." The dispatcher also tells the firefighters which page in a district-wide map book shows the house, to help the crew navigate to the fire. Usually, the first-out pumper leaves within one minute of receiving the alarm.

As the on-duty crew dresses in their bunker gear and drives off on the first-out pumper, the on-call firefighters head to their stations. They, too, dress in their heat-resistant bunkers and head to the scene, usually in about four minutes.

Once the first-in pumper arrives on-scene, the apparatus officer (the person sitting in the front, passenger side seat) takes "command" of the scene. He'll give a size-up to dispatchers and other pumpers en route. That sounds something like: "Pumper 23 on-scene of a two-story wood-frame residence. Smoke showing on two sides. Pumper 23 is in command."

Now, each apparatus that arrives on scene knows what to expect and who's in charge - that's important. In a dangerous situation like a house fire, everyone must know who's giving orders. Command may assign next-in pumpers to specific tasks, such as "catching a hydrant," or hooking hoses up to a fire hydrant to get water. Each Southern Platte pumper has an on-board water tank, so firefighters can actually begin fighting the fire without taking the time to hook up to a hydrant.

Usually, the officer-in-charge will stay outside the fire to keep an eye on everything.