The woman is standing on a small platform, supported by a couple of firemen.

She is an older office worker who has just caught her finger in a $10,000 stamp machine.

She has been here a while and, besides being embarrassed, she is somewhat distressed. Apparently, a stamp didn't come down from the machine. Unthinkingly, the woman put her finger up into the opening to retrieve the stamp, and her finger got caught in the cutter that would have normally separated the stamp from the roll inside the machine.

The sharp knife edge of the cutter, which is holding her finger, is angled away from her, so she is caught like in one of those Chinese finger puzzles that will not release the finger when the person tries to pull it out.

Now there is a big group of firemen, all around her, with all their turnout gear. They've made many attempts to get her finger out without cutting her badly, but her finger is tightly caught.

The captain, Brian O'Flaherty, decides we should dismantle the expensive machine.

First, we take off the outer cowling, only to find out the machine is more complicated than we could have imagined.

We have the Whizzer with its 20,000-rpm, three-inch carborundum disc. The captain tells Jimmy Emery to start cutting away pieces of the machine, in order to get closer to the lady's finger. The closer we get, the more distressed the woman becomes.

Firemen are switching off with one another, supporting the woman, who cannot sit down because the floor is too far down from where her finger is stuck. Fellow office workers are bringing cold compresses for her head and neck to keep her from fainting.

Jimmy cuts one piece after the other; this is taking time, so I relieve him and start to get very close to her finger.

We have literally destroyed this machine, removing it piece by piece down to her finger. She is perspiring profusely and almost faints from this ordeal.

I am cutting at 20,000 rpms within an inch of her finger and that, combined with the high-pitched sound of the tool, is making her very nervous.

I am steady and very close to her finger. I know we will get her free.

In her excitement about the tool being so close to making the final cut, she involuntarily moves her finger in and out, extricating herself. (George Kreuscher from "Fireman")

Now it's your turn. If you have a story that you'd like to submit, or have an idea for a story please let us know. Send it to: fdnytales@Fire-Police-EMS.com

Thanks, Ira Hoffman