At 4:22am this morning I was fast asleep, pushing out the Zzzz's and dribbling into my pillow. Not a pretty sight I know but I bet you don't look any better at that time of the night either!
And at 4:23am I'm up and swearing like a trooper at that f***ing, p***ing alerter, trying to avoid getting two legs down the same leg of my jeans and fumble for the key in the front door.
As I open the front door the rush of cool air does little to rouse me from my semi-comatose state. With any luck the jog across to the Fire Station will wake me up. And if that doesn't then dodging the early morning traffic normally works a treat!
Ladder 1 with Blue Watch on board had already left the building when I arrived bleary-eyed in front of the turnout printer: Doorway – Fir Lane, Lowestoft.
As the guys start arriving in numbers the bells go for the ERT – our doorway on Fir Lane has now been escalated to Persons Reported.
I drive the ERT (my first shout as driver on NT06) literally just around the corner into Fir Lane. Two of the crew make their way to the BAECO board to join the BA team from Ladder 2. The door is causing some problems even with the best efforts of 'Cheesey' and the door enforcer. Mel got the Remsaw off Ladder 1 and started to cut at the transom. Then some gentle persuasion from me and the middle of the door was out of the way.
The BA team quickly made their way up to the first floor flat and were able to report that there were no casualties inside.
Now can anyone explain to me how a uPVC door can spontaneously combust at 4 in the morning? Or should I be a tad more suspicious and think that a person or persons unknown had helped the door in its quest to catch fire by adding some form of accelerant and then providing an ignition source!
That wouldn't be the first time it's happened and it won't be the last…
And a big "well done" to the driver of the double decker bus, enroute to Bernard Matthews, that squeezed his way past Ladder 1, Ladder 2, an ambulance and a police car. Rumour has it that the bus driver asked a firefighter if he could get through. The helpful firefighter replied, "Course you can mate. You could get a bus through there!"