▁ 3 3 , ▁Jack ▁lear ns ▁the ▁ro pes ▁of ▁fire f ight ing . ▁He ▁quickly ▁becomes ▁close ▁friends ▁with ▁his ▁fellow ▁fire fig h ters , ▁including ▁Mike , ▁his ▁Captain ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Jack ' s ▁first ▁fire ▁takes ▁place ▁at ▁a ▁burning ▁vac ant ▁ro wh ouse . ▁Engine ▁ 3 3 ▁and ▁Lad der ▁ 4 9 ▁respond ▁and ▁are ▁the ▁first ▁companies ▁on ▁the ▁scene . ▁Jack ▁and ▁Mike ▁enter ▁the ▁building ▁with ▁a ▁h ose ▁line ▁and ▁tack le ▁the ▁bla ze , ▁with ▁Jack ▁on ▁the ▁no zz le ▁of ▁the ▁h ose . ▁They ▁quickly ▁and ▁triumph antly ▁ex ting u ish ▁it . ▁ ▁After ▁some ▁time ▁working ▁on ▁Engine ▁ 3 3 , ▁Jack ▁arriv es ▁at ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁another ▁vac ant ▁ro wh ouse ▁fire , ▁where ▁a ▁fellow ▁fire fig h ter ▁from ▁Lad der ▁ 4 9 , ▁Dennis ▁G au quin ▁( B illy ▁Bur ke ), ▁dies ▁after ▁falling ▁through ▁a ▁roof ▁of ▁the ▁building . ▁After ▁a ▁quar rel ▁between ▁the ▁fire fig h ters , ▁the ▁Captain ▁tells ▁them ▁to ▁stick ▁together . ▁Later , ▁N umer ous ▁fire fig h ters ▁attend ▁Dennis ' s ▁fun eral . ▁Jack ▁dec ides , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁more ▁dangerous , ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁late ▁friend ' s ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁" tr uck ie ", ▁a ▁search ▁and ▁rescue ▁member ▁on ▁Lad der ▁ 4 9 ▁by ▁transfer ring ▁to ▁the ▁T ruck