Chapter 315 Take charge!
The command center was already bustling with activity even before the earthquake.
Xia Lili trotted over to the command desk, her tone urgent but steady. She discussed with Commander Zhang, "This situation could be very serious. Relying solely on search and rescue efforts won't be enough."
"We need to quickly mobilize all the nearby search and rescue dog teams. Dogs have better noses than humans and can smell any movement under the rubble."
With few search and rescue dogs and a large workload, problems can easily arise.
As soon as Commander Zhang approved her application, Xia Lili called Instructor Wu: "Instructor Wu, have you received the Lincheng earthquake warning?"
Instructor Wu was startled: "I just received your call not long ago."
Instructor Wu guessed that Xia Lili must be of a very high rank and was extremely well-informed.
The sudden earthquake warning also surprised him. In the past, they received preparation notices only after the disaster occurred. This time, it was the first time that the warning was issued nine hours in advance, and judging from the early prevention posture, the scale of this earthquake will be large.
Xia Lili said in a steady voice, "Remember to put on protective boots and locators for the dogs. You and your teammates must also wear helmets. Safety first. If any equipment or protective gear is damaged, or if any special circumstances arise, please contact me!"
She paused, her voice slowing down. "Don't worry, I've made all the arrangements. Veterinarians from four pet hospitals are already on their way with medicine and equipment. We've also stocked up on dog food, nutritional cream, and hemostatics. We'll be ready to connect with you the moment you arrive."
On the other end of the phone, Instructor Wu was stunned for several seconds before he reacted. There was no sign of the earthquake yet, but Xia Lili had already thought about what to wear and who to ask for treatment if she got injured.
The 72 hours after a disaster is the "golden rescue period" and time is life.
Under this extreme sense of urgency, all resources, including people and dogs, may be pushed to the limit, and it is easy to have the idea of "holding on a little longer", thus ignoring the accumulation of fatigue.
Instructor Wu's throat tightened a bit, and he kept saying, "Oh... Mr. Xia, you are so thoughtful! Thank you on behalf of everyone!"
After hanging up the phone, Xia Lili looked out the window.
The city was still quiet, but she knew that the silent battle had already begun.
As time went by, the Lincheng search and rescue team members arrived at the assembly area in front of the emergency command center one after another, and quickly lined up according to formations, forming several neat square formations.
The atmosphere was solemn and dignified.
Xia Lili has been invited by Commander Zhang to take charge and look for the person who has suffered the misfortune in the search and rescue team.
Xia Lili stood beside the command tent, calmed herself down, and walked steadily towards the first search and rescue team.
She looked at each of her team members one by one, and most of the time, there was nothing unusual when their eyes met.
All she could see was the firm belief and fighting spirit in the eyes of the search and rescue team members.
However, when her eyes met with a young team member numbered 2317, she suddenly shuddered.
Hallucinations flooded into Xia Lili's mind, and she "saw" the other party struggling to search and rescue in a half-collapsed residential building.
At this moment, a violent shaking came from under their feet. The entire building emitted a terrifying sound. The ceiling collapsed, and steel and concrete rained down, instantly crushing the team member under the rubble...
The hallucination faded, and Xia Lili suddenly came back to her senses. Her face turned pale, and she immediately turned to the staff member who was responsible for recording. Her tone was hurried but clear:
"Note: A strong aftershock will occur at 3:46 AM. Pay special attention to the risk of secondary collapse of old brick-concrete structures, especially residential buildings in the northwest area of the city."
The staff member was stunned for a moment, then quickly entered the information into the system.
Almost at the same time, the instructions were transmitted to the communication channels of various search and rescue teams.
Xia Lili didn't pause, took a deep breath, and continued to walk towards the next team member.
Her eyes were calm and her steps were steady, as if she was just conducting an ordinary inspection.
Only Xia Lili herself knows best that every time their eyes meet, a life may be saved!
Then, after looking at dozens of people in a row, Xia Lili looked at a middle-aged team member with a determined expression.
In an instant, the images in my mind surged violently again.
The middle-aged team member was bending over and searching carefully under a seemingly stable floor, while toys and household items were scattered among the scattered rubble.
Suddenly, the load-bearing column made a sharp breaking sound!
The structure that was barely holding up collapsed like a building block with its bottom pulled out. Layers of rubble and steel bars pressed down suddenly, instantly trapping the team members deeper into the ruins.
In the dark and suffocating space, there was only desperate silence.
Xia Lili suddenly regained consciousness, her heart beating violently, but her voice was unusually calm.
Xia Lili quickly turned around and said to the recorder beside her:
"Please record the secondary collapse warning. The location is an old residential building with a faded blue awning outside."
"There's a half-dead locust tree at the door, smashed and bent, and a broken wind chime hanging on the third-floor window."
Xia Lili spoke very quickly, but every word was clear.
The recorder entered the information quickly while synchronizing it with the rear command system.
Just a few seconds later, a confirmation came from the communication channel:
[The building has been located and the one that matches the description is the "Yong'anju" residential building at No. 17, Xing'an Street! The building has been marked as a high-risk structure!]
[Street workers have been dispatched to check whether all residents of residential buildings have evacuated! ]
Xia Lili continued to screen the unfortunate parties involved in this search and rescue operation in an orderly manner.
After looking into the eyes of hundreds of people, her eyes became dry and sore, and her vision began to blur.
The ophthalmologist arranged by Lin Cheng had been waiting nearby. Seeing this, he immediately stepped forward and gave Xia Lili a simple eye examination and massage using a soothing device.
The doctor whispered, "Miss Xia, you need to rest properly."
Xia Lili nodded and went to the lounge to lie down for a while.
After a brief respite, Xia Lili regained her spirits and resumed screening.
Just as she finished inspecting more than a hundred people, she made eye contact with a team member with a square face, thick eyebrows and a resolute temperament.
The familiar feeling of dizziness came over her again, and clear hallucinations flooded into her mind like a tide.
The team member was cautiously walking through a half-collapsed factory area, with twisted metal and containers scattered around.
Suddenly, a broken gas pipe not far from his feet made a hissing sound of leaking gas, followed by a loud explosion!
The scorching flames expanded instantly, engulfing him like a giant beast.
…
Xia Lili looked at the team member of the same group again. The search and rescue team that this team member belonged to was groping in the underground warehouse, but accidentally knocked over a rusty chemical storage tank.
A pungent yellow gas hissed out and quickly filled the narrow space.
The team members coughed violently, fell down one after another, and lost consciousness from suffocation...
This time, it is the entire search and rescue team that will die!
Xia Lili suddenly came to her senses, her chest heaving.
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