Date: 30th August 2008
Time: 1720
Type: Garage
Address: Winnipeg Road, Lowestoft
Initial Attendance: Normanshurst 01
Final Attendance: Normanshurst 01 and 02
This was the second shout of the day for us. I'd missed the first one, only having been in the station a few minutes before to sign out for a couple of hours. This one is known as Sod's Law. Most Saturdays at noon I'll be at home but today I was taking the present Mrs. Carter out for a meal at the Village Maid in Lound.
Just after five I heard the substitute Ladder 1 go out on a shout and I got that feeling in the water that we might be going too. Sure enough, within about ten minutes, the alerter kicked off. I was a bit slow out of the blocks so Cheesey beat me to the drivers slot.
When we arrived at the junction of Winnipeg Road and St.Peters Street we were met by Phil Johnston valiantly trying to get a water supply for Ladder 1. He'd got the hydrant in and was about to run the first of around four lengths of 70 up Winnipeg Road to the pump. We helped with this and then got hose ramps out for traffic going along St.Peters Street.
Most people slow right down when they see these minor obstructions in the road. But not long after we had placed the hose ramps we were treated to the sight of a taxi taking off as he hit the ramps too fast! [Sentence deleted…]
For the next half hour or so we watched as traffic negotiated the hose ramps – some stalling as they reached the top of these mammoth little bumps, others missing them completely, while some just sat there looking at them and wondering what to do next!
The fire had been in what looked like a derelict garage at the back of Winnipeg Road. The whole place was overgrown and full of junk. It took an extended hosereel and two lines of 45 to give the garage and the surrounding pile of rubbish a good drink.
Meanwhile, out on the road, we were still watching the traffic. It's lucky there weren't any shunts as people keep moving forward but have to crane their heads owl-like to see what's happening. And even just standing about making sure no one drags the hose with them up the road finds us sweating like porkers. Not surprising when, in addition to our fire kit, we're wearing hi-vis jackets – a bit like wrapping yourself up in clingfilm!
Back to the station just after six to clean some hose and then off home…
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