Month: March 2008

Date: 23rd March 2008
Time: 0422
Type: Unknown outside
Address: The Crown, High Street, Lowestoft
Initial Attendance: Normanshurst 01
Final Attendance: Normanshurst 01, 02

Up, bright and early this morning to a Make Pumps 2 at The Crown, in the High Street. The tip sheet just said it was Unknown outside rear.

We went mobile with a crew of four – Dennis Newton in charge, Cheesey driving and myself and Jason riding BA.

Cheesey came into Crown Street from the wrong end (it’s a one-way street) as this is the only way you’ll get a fire engine down there. Ladder 1 was in the High Street with both high pressure reels off and a covering jet.

Two cars had been involved in a fire which was very close to taking hold of the old brewery buildings at the back of The Crown. Mel Buck and Al Soards were in BA and had extinguished the fire in the cars and stopped it spreading. All the buildings at The Crown are connected and a fire there could prove a big job if unchecked.

Jason and I had a BA wear, taking over from the Green Watch duo. It was simply a case of giving the cars a good drink and likewise with the doorway next to the cars  and the edge of the roof immediately above.

A quick check in and out with the Thermal Image camera confirmed that there weren’t any hotspots left.

Back on station an hour later, serviced our BA sets, had a welcome brew and then off home.

Always amazes me how cars catch light at such an early hour! Perhaps someone took it into their own hands to settle a score or maybe someone was just wandering home after a night on the town and fancied a bit of ‘fun’. Either way, 0422 was slightly earlier than I had planned to get up this morning!

Date: 12th March 2008
Time: 0540
Type: RTC – person trapped
Address: St. Olaves Road, Somerleyton
Initial Attendance: Normanhurst 05, 01, 02

It was only yesterday that some wag remarked that we hadn’t had a night-time shout for some time. OK, 0540 isn’t exactly middle of the night but it sure as hell isn’t anywhere near elevenses either!

By not having all my clothes and shoes ready for the quick change routine it was perhaps inevitable that my Fire Service alarm clock would herald an early call. So, bleary-eyed and muttering, I try not to get two legs in the same hole while hopping weakly on one leg. Lack of co-ordination strikes too as your feet miss your shoes and you fumble to unlock the front door…

Even with this slow start I still make it in first (mind you I haven’t any excuses living as close as I do to the station!). All three appliances are required for an RTC – person trapped.

Cheesey follows me in but is more concerned with the dire need to pee than get his fire kit on! Doesn’t matter though as with us manning two appliances he has time to answer the call of nature and act as driver on Ladder 2.

We arrived at the scene just a few minutes after White watch to find a bright yellow car on its roof in someones front garden. And to get into the garden the car had gone right through a magnolia hedge. Luckily the male driver wasn’t trapped and was being strapped on to the spine board as we arrived to lift him out. Because we needed a route out through the hedge our very own human dynamo – Richard ‘Shambles’ Lambert – was given the job of cutting away at the hedge to make a gap for us.

And that was it really. We made up what little equipment we had used and then it was a leisurely drive back along the country lanes into Lowestoft.

Not sure who put the 999 call in but if this had happened in the middle of the night there is every chance that no one would have seen the car until daylight.

All this and back home by 0630…

Date: 5th March 2008
Time: 0855
Type: RTC – person trapped
Address: Flixton Road, Lound
Initial Attendance: Normanhurst 05
Final Attendance: Normanshurt 05, 01, 02

I was at the station getting the gear ready to do another Learn and Live presentation at Lowestoft College.

Rachael was on nights and would be coming straight out to the presentation. But as usual Sod’s Law kicks in and the bells went at about 0845. This was for the PRT to go to reports of petrol on the road, as sent in by the Police.

It seemed that I would have to get all the gear set up at the College and wait for Rachael to catch me up. Then the bells went again for Ladder 1 and 2. The incident had now escalated to ‘persons trapped’, which gets 3 pumps attending.

We were the third pump in as the day crew (Green Watch) had already got there ahead of us. We were surplus to requirements and were soon on our way back to station.

The College had been warned about the delay but we caught up again with Rachael dashing in just in time for the main event.

And isn’t it strange the things people say to you. One of the students said to me:
"Are you a real fireman"
"Yes", I replied.
"That’s not a firemans uniform you’re wearing"
"It is."
"Fireman wear big coats, leggings and a yellow helmet."

Not much you can say to that!

Date: 4th March 2008
Time: 1555
Type: Make Pumps 4 – derelict house
Address: Fountain Lane, North Cove, Beccles
Initial Attendance: Normanhurst 01 and Beccles 01
Final Attendance: Normanshurt 01, 02, Beccles 01 and Clifton 01 plus Forward Control Vehicle

The normal dash from my office and there seems to be plenty of us all arriving at the station at the same time. I'm driving and we've five onboard with Gary Smart in charge.

North Cove is about six miles away through busy Oulton Broad and the thickening traffic. As usual there are people who are switched on and use their mirrors and their ears! They then take the necessary action to move out of our way as we try to make headway through the traffic. But again, as usual, there are plenty who, it seems, never look in their mirrors nor indeed seem to focus on anything other than the car stereo. And it always seems to be the car directly in front of us. They see a car pull over just ahead of them (these are the drivers that have seen and heard us bearing down on them) and then simply go to overtake without so much as the briefest of glances any of their mirrors. They then seem utterly surprised when they do cotton on and see the word FIRE writ large in the mirror with blue flashing lights each side of it. We've even gone to the trouble of putting the word FIRE back to front so as to appear the right way round when viewed in a mirror!
Deep breath in and then out slowly… That's better – even the blood pressure might come down soon!

Anyway, we turn off into North Cove and can see the plume of smoke just ahead. Left into a cul-de-sac and we find the other three pumps already in action. We give our tank of water to Clifton and then go on the lookout for a hydrant in the village. In the end we have two hydrants on the go and continue to ferry water with Clifton coming along too.

The derelict house was even more so now and will need more than a visit from Changing Rooms to put it right.

One couple, living close by, had their kettle working overtime. Every few minutes they would appear with another tray laden with cups of tea. A most welcome sight on a cold, snowy day. Thank you!