Businesswoman Chapter 20

When she met them at the firehall, she looked at the faces. Young. Clean shaven. Hair tied in a neat bun. The men and women of the Hook and Ladder 51 in Newark, Delaware welcomed her…mostly.

“I must say,” she said, standing like a mini-monolith with her five foot two inch frame.

“You all are the keepers of calm amidst calamity. Some of you are paid a salary. Others hourly. And still others volunteer. What I’m offering is privatization.”

Kiplin Caverly snickered. “Yes, so when we show up and the homeowner hasn’t paid their subscription, the water never flows.” Some more laughs arose above the small audience of firefighters.

“Let’s show some respect to Businesswoman,” Chief Rallo Carp intoned.

“It’s true though, Chief. People’s houses are going to burn down, folks are going to die from smoke inhalation….”

Loreen clasped her hands together. “I know what you’re thinking. Private firefighting is going to ruin the whole purpose of your jobs. Think of this: you will get better equipment, training, and monetary bonuses.”

“It’s not about the money,” Oscar Guzman announced. “It’s about putting out blazes and returning people to some sense of normalcy.”

Loreen felt undeterred. She continued to stand as if her spine had morphed into steel. “I have to say that a private firehouse will forever be more capable of extinguishing blazes with more power and resources. And if someone or company can’t pay for the fire to be put out, a private charity will pick up the bill.”

An eerie silence fell over the classroom. Chief Carp smirked. “Alright we’re going to thank Businesswoman—”

“Wait,” Sheila Desko replied. “Chief, if what she says is true, maybe we should implement it….”

Loreen’s mouth looked like it had been sealed shut. She walked from the front. Then she saluted.