Fire Department and ambulance sirens have become the sweetest of all city sounds since I became one of those injured people being rushed to a nearby hospital. Due to a malfunctioning elevator, I accidentally fell into the elevator shaft of my Erie Street brownstone and spent two anxious hours in a dark, airless shaft. My cell phone did not function except for the miraculous few moments it took to dial 911. No sooner had I reported my fall than I heard the sirens approach.
The firemen worked furiously to crowbar open the elevator door and hoist me to safety. Four minutes later, sirens piercing the night, the paramedics delivered me to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where the ER team determined I had no life-threatening injuries.
Chicago is incredibly lucky to have such magnificent and dedicated men and women whose single-minded purpose is to save lives.
