The Boots Are Always Ready at Fire Station 324

Bob was walking through Riverdale when he stopped outside one of his favourite buildings — the art deco beauty that is Toronto Fire Station 324. From the sidewalk, he could see the big red truck parked just inside the middle bay, gleaming in the shadows, ready to go at a moment’s notice.

But what really caught Bob’s eye wasn’t the shiny chrome or the rumble of readiness. It was what sat quietly on the floor next to the fire truck — a pair of bunker pants and boots, set up like a firefighter had just stepped out of them. It reminded Bob of a childhood memory: laying out his clothes on the floor in the shape of a person before the first day of school. But this wasn’t for style — it was about speed.

Bunker pants and boots are always prepped like that in a fire station — boots half-tucked inside the pants, the suspenders hanging loose. When the call comes in, a firefighter can jump into them and be out the door in seconds. There’s no fumbling, no thinking — just go. It’s a simple but powerful detail that speaks to the discipline and preparedness of the people who live at the edge of emergency.

Bob stood there for a moment longer and took a photo. Not of a dramatic fire or rescue, but of the stillness before the storm — the quiet symbol of readiness. Even the fire truck had a rainbow “Toronto Fire” sticker on the side, showing that this place, steeped in tradition, also embraced the future.

And as he walked on, Bob realized: sometimes the most telling story isn’t in the action — it’s in the waiting.